Project Details

Caregiver-focused interventions for neurodevelopmental delays in young children in western Kenya

Megan McHenry, MD, MS, FAAP

Summary

BACKGROUND: Children born in resource-limited settings face numerous risk factors for neurodevelopmental delays, such as malnutrition, extreme poverty, and infectious diseases. Neurodevelopmental interventions are most effective if administered early, when the brain is growing rapidly and has the greatest plasticity. GAP: Effective, sustainable interventions are critically needed to improve the neurodevelopmental outcomes of young children in resource-limited settings, and the UNICEF Care for Child Development (CCD) Program intervention shows great promise to address this gap. HYPOTHESIS: The CCD Program intervention will be feasible and acceptable for caregivers of young children. We also hypothesize that implementation of the CCD Program intervention will result in a 40% decrease in the number of children with neurodevelopmental delays, as determined by a culturally adapted Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition standardized score. METHODS: We will perform subject-level randomization into groups within a 2x2 crossover design, with standard-of-care and intervention arms assessed at baseline, 6 month follow-up, and 12 month follow-up. RESULTS: Pending IMPACT: The results from this study will serve as the basis for a future larger randomized intervention trial of the effectiveness of the CCD program that has the potential to reduce neurodevelopmental delays in children in Kenya, as well as young children living in resource-limited settings worldwide. Optional/Additional Comments: This study will be performed in western Kenya, through the Academic Model for Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) Research Consortium, in partnership with Moi University and Indiana University School of Medicine.