AUTHOR=Liu Yihua , Chang Chun 

TITLE=The relationship between early childhood development and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period in rural China: a cross-sectional study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1202712

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1202712

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Early childhood feeding environments and practices not only affect children's nutritional status, but also provide children with a variety of external stimulations to affect the development of the child's brain, especially for the first thousand days of children. The relationship of early childhood development (ECD) and feeding practices during the dietary transitional period has not previously been described. This study used quantitative survey data from the Integrated Early Childhood Development Project. Child and family characteristics and feeding practices were collected through the questionnaire completed by caregivers. Developmental delays were explored through a five-pronged, structured, parent-completed Age and Stage Questionnaire. The Chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore associated factors of ECD. Results showed 33.6% of children had at least one area of developmental delay during the dietary transitional period. Of all five regions evaluated, the prevalence of fine motor developmental delays was highest (17.7%), followed by communication (14.9%), problem solving (13.8%), personalsocial skill (11.9%) and gross motor (11.8%), respectively. Significant predictors of increased odds of developmental delay included types of complementary foods (OR=0.70, 95% CI=0.53-0.94), adequate feeding frequency (OR=0.69, 95% CI=0.52-0.90), and breastfeeding time and bottle feeding (OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.50-0.88). According to the results, a high prevalence of developmental delay was observed in children during the dietary transitional period in rural areas of China. The feeding practices of children were associated with their developmental status, including factors such as inadequate feeding frequency, types of complementary foods, breastfeeding duration, and low family income. These findings highlight the focus and potential direction for early identification and intervention.