This document discusses early child development and contains information from a CORE Fall Meeting. It presents statements related to critical periods of development and asks the reader to indicate agreement or disagreement. Some key points made include: the window of opportunity for child development extends beyond just pregnancy through the first few years; bonding and attachment are not the same; and babies under 1 month can see and copy. The document also discusses how brain development occurs through forming connections in response to experiences and sensations, and how skills building resources can help support integrated child care and development.

1. Early Child Development
‘WAYA’
where are you at?
CORE Fall Meeting
October 16, 2013

2. Use your thumb to signify:
•
•
•
‘agreement’, = thumbs up
‘do not agree’, = thumbs down
‘undecided’ = thumb horizontal
to the following statements:
1. The only important window of opportunity
across the lifecycle to support child development
is from pregnancy through the first few years of
life.

3. Q #1. The only important window of opportunity
across the lifecycle to support child development is
from pregnancy through the first few years of life.
Answer – T down
Pregnant women
Mother & young child
Adolescents
Critical Phases/periods of Biologic-Behavioral Changes

4. Q2. Bonding is the same as attachment.

5. Q#2. Bonding is the same as attachment.
Answer – T down
Bonding: mother  baby, starting from
pregnancy
Attachment: baby  mother (through serve and
return). -- has a biological purpose to sustain
life, causing the baby to demonstrate
behaviors that help him/her to stay closer to
the mother.

6. Q3.
A 2 week-old baby only begin to see and
to ‘copy’ at one month.

7. Q3. A 2 week-old baby only begin to see and to ‘copy’ at
one month.
Answer : T - down
Andrew Meltzoff (father) baby copying 
…taken from Jane Lucas PhD presentation @ CCD workshop in
June 2013 in Ankara, Turkey

8. .
As things are seen,
heard, felt or tasted,
messages are sent from
one brain cell to
another through
neurotransmitters.
These messages
activate the cells,
enabling them to make
connections with the
cells around them,
causing the brain to
grow.
First Things First, (2010)

9. Use it or loose it!
Connections in the
brain become
stronger when they
are used often, and
connections that
are not used die
away in childhood
and early
adolescence
First Things First, (2010)

10. Resources
■ For health professionals and
CHWs to enhance skills to
support care for development
■ For community health workers to
build their skills to support
integrated child care (health,
feeding and development)

11. ECD Resource
■ Care for Child Development (C4D) Module
(UNICEF, WHO 2009):
■ Stimulation
■ Responsive parenting skills to enhance
mother/child interactions
■ Parenting messages
■ Job Aides: Play and Communication Guide, Resource Kit, 12 Group
Meeting Sessions, Counselling Guidelines, Problem Solving Checklist.
11

12. …onward to breaking the transgenerational
cycle of poverty and ill health!
A virtuous generational cycle for
the children.... are you a
spectator or a contributor?