“Care for development” refers to counselling families to acquire the skills to support the psychosocial development of their children.
Promoting mental and social development is one of the 12 key family and community practices identified by WHO and UNICEF to promote child health. This is done by responding to a child’s needs for care and through talking, playing and providing a stimulating environment.
The evidence for psychosocial interventions
Incorporating “Care for development” in the IMCI guidelines
The evidence for psychosocial interventions
There is ample evidence that successful nutrition interventions improve physical growth. There is also evidence that such interventions can significantly improve psychosocial development.
It has been shown that nutrition interventions, including also promotion of sound breastfeeding practices, have a significant and positive impact on child cognitive and motor development if implemented earliest in life, that is targeting infants and toddlers.
It has been shown also that psychosocial interventions on their own can improve child psychological development. These interventions, too, should start very early in life, as children are most vulnerable at this time.
The first few years in life are therefore the most sensitive ones to both nutrition interventions and psychosocial interventions and start building the foundations for the years to come.
What has in a way revolutionized our knowledge is the evidence that, when implemented at the same time, interventions to promote growth and those to promote psychological development have even a greater effect than when carried out individually.
A “critical link” has thus been established between physical and nutritional status of the child and his/her psychological development.
Behaviours to improve nutrient intake and psychosocial support require a few, similar skills from child caregivers. Counselling families to develop and strengthen those skills is therefore an approach to be undertaken.
Source: A critical link – Interventions for physical growth and psychological development, World Health Organization, 1999
What is care for development
A brief description of child care for psychosocial development summarizes what care for development is and shows some of the early results observed during follow-up visits on the performance of health providers trained in “care for development” in the Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia.
Incorporating “Care for development” in the IMCI guidelines
Guidelines on “care for development” have been incorporated in the IMCI (Integrated Management of Child Health) guidelines. Country examples of psychosocial development aspects of child care included in the IMCI guidelines include the guidelines developed in Oman, Syrian Arab Republic and Tunisia.
It should be emphasised that comprehensive plans are needed for a strategy to improve child growth and development, which should include supportive interventions carried out at community level.
Related links:
Key family practices: psychosocial development