BMJ paediatrics open
Nurturing care practices among caregivers during early childhood (0-3 years): a cross-sectional survey
By Kandela A, Khalil S, Kumari S and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Nurturing care involves creating a stable, supportive environment by caregivers that promotes health, protection and developmentally stimulating interactions. There is a paucity of evidence regarding caregivers’ practices on caregiving and child-rearing and support for early learning opportunities in India. This study was conducted to assess the practices among caregivers of children (0–3 years) in all domains of Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development (NC-ECD).
Methods
This cross-sectional study included primary caregivers of 610 children aged 0–3 years with a birth weight of more than 2500 g. These children included those brought to a medical college affiliated hospital for routine vaccinations and those being discharged from the hospital following an acute illness without any residual health effects. Primary caregivers were interviewed individually with a predesigned proforma pertaining to their practices in five domains of nurturing care ie good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving and opportunities for early learning. Caregivers’ responses were categorised as ‘always’, ‘sometimes’ and ‘never’. Overall, ‘appropriate’ practices were defined when >85% of responses were ‘always’.