Bahir Dar Child Development Study, Ethiopia

Launched by BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · Oct 17, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Bahir Dar Child Development Study is a research project taking place in Ethiopia, aimed at understanding how children develop from 6 months to 5 years old. The study will look at how children's brains grow, their social and behavioral skills, and what factors in their lives—like their home environment and their mother's mental health—affect their development. To gather this information, researchers will use brain scans, blood tests, and various child assessments to measure things like thinking, communication, and preparation for school.

To participate, children must be healthy and living in Bahir Dar, with parents willing to attend clinic visits. Eligible children will be between 6 months and 5 years old, and they should not have severe health or developmental issues. Families can expect to engage in fun activities with their children that help assess different skills, while also answering questions about their home life. This study is important to help understand child development in this community and could lead to better support for families in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Children living in Bahir Dar town with parents who are willing and able to travel to Felege Hiwot Regional Hospital clinic for study visits
• • Healthy child without active clinical symptoms/complaints
• • Child within specified age ranges for each cohort/group (+/- 2 months)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Child born with a severe congenital birth defect or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (birth asphyxia) per maternal report
• • Severe developmental or behavioral disorder per maternal report
• • Severe illness/clinical signs or symptoms of illness based on maternal and child report (including vomiting, headache, or seizures)
• • Plans to move out of catchment area in less than 1 year