Maternal and other caregiver stimulation linked to child development in Northern Ghana trial

Despite the government prioritizing Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Ghana, data on responsive caregiving is limited. This study examined the type and extent of Early Stimulation Activities (ESAs) practiced by mothers, and other caregivers and the associations between ESAs and children's development by caregiver type in Northern Ghana. Data were from a cluster-randomized controlled trial with mother-child dyads that evaluated the impact of an integrated maternal mental health and early childhood intervention program. The primary outcome was measured by the Developmental Milestone Checklist (DMC-II). Covariates included maternal report of ESAs performed by herself, child's father, and other caregivers. Linear regression analyses with cluster-adjusted standard errors were performed. Nearly 15% of mother-participants (n = 313) reported 4 + ESAs in the past 3 days. Within the last 3 days, on average, women reported 2.5 activities for themselves, 1.2 activities by the child's father, and 2 activities by other caregivers. The associations between ESAs and children's development varied by caregiver type. Maternal stimulation was positively associated with children's total development and personal-social development, early stimulation by other caregivers was positively associated with children's total development and language development, and paternal stimulation was not associated with any development domain. Other associations included receipt of postnatal care and presence of household toys. While maternal stimulation seemed particularly important, findings regarding non-primary caregivers suggest that ECD programming could also benefit from their inclusion.