Early Child Development & Social Aspects

Fulltext

Background: Too many of under 5 years children in countries, especially in developing countries are in the risk of poverty, malnutrition, poor health and unstimulating home environment that can effect on their cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional development. Early child development is one the most important and perhaps the most important determinants of social determinants of health (SDH). In this regard, the role of social policies especially in child field, social conditions that children grow and develop, especially in lower socio-economical class, in facilitating of children accessibility to educational, social supports, and qualitative health services is very important and necessary.

Methods: Now we don’t have specific data about early child development in under 5 years children in the country. Generally two important barriers are in child development, malnutrition and failure to thrive in early child years and the second is living in poverty conditions. These two causes are linked to poor cognitive development and educational outcome in the future. These children have poor outcome in school and will have a lower income jobs, and so their children will grow in a poor condition and this vicious cycle continue and lead to inter-generational transfer of poverty.

Results: Investment in early child years can lead to reduction of inequality from poverty, poor nutrition and learning opportunities. Attention to children especially in lower socio-economical class is one of the strongest interventions for developing equity and accessibility to life opportunities. According to studies, investment in this age group (under 5 years) and developing pre-school services have a high cost- benefit ratio.

Conclusions: Developing the social welfare policies and child social support system , and consider to early child development are the basic interventions for attending to social justice and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in all countries.