The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China
ObjectiveAn increasing number of parents in China ask grandparents or babysitters to care for their children. Modern parents are often the only child in their family because of China’s One-Child Policy and thus may lack interaction with siblings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore wheth...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2017.00243/full |
| _version_ | 1818057842542772224 |
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| author | Qinrui Li Furong Liang Weilan Liang Jing Zhang Manman Niu Ying Han |
| author_facet | Qinrui Li Furong Liang Weilan Liang Jing Zhang Manman Niu Ying Han |
| author_sort | Qinrui Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectiveAn increasing number of parents in China ask grandparents or babysitters to care for their children. Modern parents are often the only child in their family because of China’s One-Child Policy and thus may lack interaction with siblings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore whether different caregivers affect the physical and development of infants in China.MethodsIn total, 2,514 infants were enrolled in our study. We assessed their weight-for-age, supine length-for-age, weight-for-length, occipital-frontal circumference, and Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) results and recorded their general parental information and their primary caregivers.ResultsThe weights and lengths of 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters were significantly lower than those of infants under the care of parents or grandparents (P < 0.05). Additionally, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had the lowest DDST pass rate (75%) among the three groups (χ2 = 11.819, P = 0.012), especially for the fine motor-adaptive and language domains. Compared to 12-month-old infants under the care of parents and babysitters, infants under the care of grandparents were more likely to be overweight or obese (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe study showed that caregivers had a dominant role in the physical and cognitive development of the infants. Specifically, compared with infants raised by grandparents and parents, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had partially suppressed lengths and weights and lagged cognitively. The 12-month-old infants under the care of grandparents were more overweight than those cared for by parents and babysitters. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:51:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4fd0470ae8b04bd3bccfbaffc8cf63f9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:51:10Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-4fd0470ae8b04bd3bccfbaffc8cf63f92022-12-22T01:48:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602017-11-01510.3389/fped.2017.00243292120The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in ChinaQinrui Li0Furong Liang1Weilan Liang2Jing Zhang3Manman Niu4Ying Han5Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Child Health Care, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, ChinaObjectiveAn increasing number of parents in China ask grandparents or babysitters to care for their children. Modern parents are often the only child in their family because of China’s One-Child Policy and thus may lack interaction with siblings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore whether different caregivers affect the physical and development of infants in China.MethodsIn total, 2,514 infants were enrolled in our study. We assessed their weight-for-age, supine length-for-age, weight-for-length, occipital-frontal circumference, and Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) results and recorded their general parental information and their primary caregivers.ResultsThe weights and lengths of 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters were significantly lower than those of infants under the care of parents or grandparents (P < 0.05). Additionally, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had the lowest DDST pass rate (75%) among the three groups (χ2 = 11.819, P = 0.012), especially for the fine motor-adaptive and language domains. Compared to 12-month-old infants under the care of parents and babysitters, infants under the care of grandparents were more likely to be overweight or obese (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe study showed that caregivers had a dominant role in the physical and cognitive development of the infants. Specifically, compared with infants raised by grandparents and parents, 12-month-old infants under the care of babysitters had partially suppressed lengths and weights and lagged cognitively. The 12-month-old infants under the care of grandparents were more overweight than those cared for by parents and babysitters.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2017.00243/fullcaregiversgrowth and developmentinfantsobesityDenver Developmental Screening Test |
| spellingShingle | Qinrui Li Furong Liang Weilan Liang Jing Zhang Manman Niu Ying Han The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China Frontiers in Pediatrics caregivers growth and development infants obesity Denver Developmental Screening Test |
| title | The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China |
| title_full | The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China |
| title_fullStr | The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China |
| title_short | The Influence of Different Caregivers on Infant Growth and Development in China |
| title_sort | influence of different caregivers on infant growth and development in china |
| topic | caregivers growth and development infants obesity Denver Developmental Screening Test |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2017.00243/full |
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