This series from the Lancet considers new scientific evidence for interventions, building on the findings and recommendations from previous Lancet work on child development (2007, 2011). It proposes pathways for implementation of early childhood development at scale. The series emphasises the nurturing care concept, especially of children below three years of age, and multi-sectoral interventions starting with health, which can have wide reach to families and young children through health and nutrition.Read More →

The evidence for combined interventions is growing! In this systematic review and meta-analysis of early life interventions, the authors found that interventions that resulted in effects on linear growth (e.g., nutritional supplementation) were not significantly associated with effects on cognitive, language, or motor development scores. To ensure benefits for linear growth and neurobehavioural development we need to go beyond nutritional supplementation programming and include interventions targeting caregiving behaviour and learning opportunities that support the development of cognitive, language, motor, and social-emotional skills.Read More →

The authors of this article in Lancet Global Health (June 2020) recommend UNICEF revise its conceptual framework of malnutrition and death to align with the associated Sustainable Development Goals and ensure children survive and thrive. The proposed revised conceptual framework recommends creating enabling environments at all levels and ensuring interventions address all five components of nurturing care.Read More →