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Neurodevelopmental milestones and associated behaviours are similar among healthy children across diverse geographical locations

Neurodevelopmental milestones and associated behaviours are similar among healthy children across diverse geographical locations
Neurodevelopmental milestones and associated behaviours are similar among healthy children across diverse geographical locations
It is unclear whether early child development is, like skeletal growth, similar across diverse regions with adequate health and nutrition. We prospectively assessed 1307 healthy, well-nourished 2-year-old children of educated mothers, enrolled in early pregnancy from urban areas without major socioeconomic or environmental constraints, in Brazil, India, Italy, Kenya and UK. We used a specially developed psychometric tool, WHO motor milestones and visual tests. Similarities across sites were measured using variance components analysis and standardised site differences (SSD). In 14 of the 16 domains, the percentage of total variance explained by between-site differences ranged from 1.3% (cognitive score) to 9.2% (behaviour score). Of the 80 SSD comparisons, only six were >±0.50 units of the pooled SD for the corresponding item. The sequence and timing of attainment of neurodevelopmental milestones and associated behaviours in early childhood are, therefore, likely innate and universal, as long as nutritional and health needs are met.
2041-1723
Villar, Jose
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Fernandes, Michelle
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Purwar, Manorama
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Urias, Eleonora Staines
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Nicola, Paola Di
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Cheikh Ismail, Leila
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Ochieng, Roseline
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Barros, Fernando C.
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Albernaz, Elaine
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Victora, Cesar G.
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Kunnawar, Naina
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Temple, Sophie
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Giuliani, Francesca
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Sandells, Tamsin
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Carvalho, Maria
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Ohuma, Eric O.
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Jaffer, Yasmine A.
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Noble, Julia Alison
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Gravett, Michael G.
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Pang, Ruyan
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Lambert, Ann
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Bertino, Enrico
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Papageorghiou, Aris T.
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Garza, Cutberto
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Stein, Alan
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Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.
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Kennedy, Stephen
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Villar, Jose
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Fernandes, Michelle
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Purwar, Manorama
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Urias, Eleonora Staines
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Nicola, Paola Di
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Cheikh Ismail, Leila
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Ochieng, Roseline
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Barros, Fernando C.
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Albernaz, Elaine
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Victora, Cesar G.
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Kunnawar, Naina
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Temple, Sophie
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Giuliani, Francesca
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Sandells, Tamsin
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Carvalho, Maria
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Ohuma, Eric O.
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Jaffer, Yasmine A.
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Noble, Julia Alison
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Gravett, Michael G.
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Pang, Ruyan
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Lambert, Ann
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Bertino, Enrico
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Papageorghiou, Aris T.
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Garza, Cutberto
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Stein, Alan
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Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.
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Kennedy, Stephen
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Villar, Jose, Fernandes, Michelle, Purwar, Manorama, Urias, Eleonora Staines, Nicola, Paola Di, Cheikh Ismail, Leila, Ochieng, Roseline, Barros, Fernando C., Albernaz, Elaine, Victora, Cesar G., Kunnawar, Naina, Temple, Sophie, Giuliani, Francesca, Sandells, Tamsin, Carvalho, Maria, Ohuma, Eric O., Jaffer, Yasmine A., Noble, Julia Alison, Gravett, Michael G., Pang, Ruyan, Lambert, Ann, Bertino, Enrico, Papageorghiou, Aris T., Garza, Cutberto, Stein, Alan, Bhutta, Zulfiqar A. and Kennedy, Stephen (2019) Neurodevelopmental milestones and associated behaviours are similar among healthy children across diverse geographical locations. Nature Communications, 10, [511]. (doi:10.1038/s41467-018-07983-4).

Record type: Article

Abstract

It is unclear whether early child development is, like skeletal growth, similar across diverse regions with adequate health and nutrition. We prospectively assessed 1307 healthy, well-nourished 2-year-old children of educated mothers, enrolled in early pregnancy from urban areas without major socioeconomic or environmental constraints, in Brazil, India, Italy, Kenya and UK. We used a specially developed psychometric tool, WHO motor milestones and visual tests. Similarities across sites were measured using variance components analysis and standardised site differences (SSD). In 14 of the 16 domains, the percentage of total variance explained by between-site differences ranged from 1.3% (cognitive score) to 9.2% (behaviour score). Of the 80 SSD comparisons, only six were >±0.50 units of the pooled SD for the corresponding item. The sequence and timing of attainment of neurodevelopmental milestones and associated behaviours in early childhood are, therefore, likely innate and universal, as long as nutritional and health needs are met.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 11 December 2018
Published date: 30 January 2019
Additional Information: Copyright © 2019, The Author(s)

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 468373
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/468373
ISSN: 2041-1723
PURE UUID: fec5efe8-64ff-4e62-b820-ec83342f3b02
ORCID for Michelle Fernandes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0051-3389

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 Aug 2022 16:52
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:10

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Contributors

Author: Jose Villar
Author: Michelle Fernandes ORCID iD
Author: Manorama Purwar
Author: Eleonora Staines Urias
Author: Paola Di Nicola
Author: Leila Cheikh Ismail
Author: Roseline Ochieng
Author: Fernando C. Barros
Author: Elaine Albernaz
Author: Cesar G. Victora
Author: Naina Kunnawar
Author: Sophie Temple
Author: Francesca Giuliani
Author: Tamsin Sandells
Author: Maria Carvalho
Author: Eric O. Ohuma
Author: Yasmine A. Jaffer
Author: Julia Alison Noble
Author: Michael G. Gravett
Author: Ruyan Pang
Author: Ann Lambert
Author: Enrico Bertino
Author: Aris T. Papageorghiou
Author: Cutberto Garza
Author: Alan Stein
Author: Zulfiqar A. Bhutta
Author: Stephen Kennedy

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