Maternal brain response to own baby-cry is affected by cesarean section delivery - Swain, J. E.; Tasgin, E.; Mayes, L. C.; Feldman, R.; Constable, R. T.; Leckman, J. F. (J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2008)
A range of early circumstances surrounding the birth of a child affects peripartum hormones, parental behavior and infant wellbeing. One of these factors, which may lead to postpartum depression, is the mode of delivery: vaginal delivery (VD) or cesarean section delivery (CSD). To test the hypothesis that CSD mothers would be less responsive to own baby-cry stimuli than VD mothers in the immediate postpartum period, we conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging, 2-4 weeks after delivery, of the brains of six mothers who delivered vaginally and six who had an elective CSD. VD mothers' brains were significantly more responsive than CSD mothers' brains to their own baby-cry in the superior and middle temporal gyri, superior frontal gyrus, medial fusiform gyrus, superior parietal lobe, as well as regions of the caudate, thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala and pons. Also, within preferentially active regions of VD brains, there were correlations across all 12 mothers with out-of-magnet variables. These include correlations between own baby-cry responses in the left and right lenticular nuclei and parental preoccupations (r = .64, p < .05 and .67, p < .05 respectively), as well as in the superior frontal cortex and Beck depression inventory (r = .78, p < .01). First this suggests that VD mothers are more sensitive to own baby-cry than CSD mothers in the early postpartum in sensory processing, empathy, arousal, motivation, reward and habit-regulation circuits. Second, independent of mode of delivery, parental worries and mood are related to specific brain activations in response to own baby-cry.
Swain, James E Tasgin, Esra Mayes, Linda C Feldman, Ruth Constable, R Todd Leckman, James F eng K05 DA020091-01/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/ K05MH076273/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ K05 DA020091/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/ T32 MH018268/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ K05 MH076273/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ K05DA020091/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/ K05 MH076273-01/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ Comparative Study Controlled Clinical Trial Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2008/09/06 09:00 J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Oct;49(10):1042-52. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01963.x. Epub 2008 Sep 3.
Keywords: *Crying; *Maternal Behavior; *Parenting; Adult; Brain/*physiology; Cesarean Section/*psychology; Connecticut; Echo-Planar Imaging; Empathy; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Linear Models; Middle Aged; Postpartum Period

DNA methylation: a mechanism for embedding early life experiences in the genome. - Szyf, Moshe; Bick, Johanna (Child Dev, 2013)
Although epidemiological data provide evidence that early life experience plays a critical role in human development, the mechanism of how this works remains in question. Recent data from human and animal literature suggest that epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, are involved not only in cellular differentiation but also in the modulation of genome function in response to early life experience affecting gene function and the phenotype. Such modulations may serve as a mechanism for life-long genome adaptation. These changes seem to be widely distributed across the genome and to involve central and peripheral systems. Examining the environmental circumstances associated with the onset and reversal of DNA methylation will be critical for understanding risk and resiliency.
Keywords: Adaptation, Physiological; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Genome, Human; Humans; Life Change Events; Phenotype; Signal Transduction; Stress, Psychological

Mothers' AdvocateS In the Community (MOSAIC)--non-professional mentor support to reduce intimate partner violence and depression in mothers: a cluster randomised trial in primary care. - Taft, Angela J; Small, Rhonda; Hegarty, Kelsey L; Watson, Lyndsey F; Gold, Lisa; Lumley, Judith A (BMC Public Health, 2011)
BACKGROUND: Effective interventions to increase safety and wellbeing of mothers experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) are scarce. As much attention is focussed on professional intervention, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of non-professional mentor support in reducing IPV and depression among pregnant and recent mothers experiencing, or at risk of IPV. METHODS: MOSAIC was a cluster randomised trial in 106 primary care (maternal and child health nurse and general practitioner) clinics in Melbourne, Australia. 63/106 clinics referred 215 eligible culturally and linguistically diverse women between January 2006 and December 2007. 167 in the intervention (I) arm, and 91 in the comparison (C) arm. 174 (80.9%) were recruited. 133 (76.4%) women (90 I and 43 C) completed follow-up at 12 months. INTERVENTION: 12 months of weekly home visiting from trained and supervised local mothers, (English & Vietnamese speaking) offering non-professional befriending, advocacy, parenting support and referrals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes; IPV (Composite Abuse Scale CAS) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale EPDS); secondary measures included wellbeing (SF-36), parenting stress (PSI-SF) and social support (MOS-SF) at baseline and follow-up. ANALYSIS: Intention-to-treat using multivariable logistic regression and propensity scoring. RESULTS: There was evidence of a true difference in mean abuse scores at follow-up in the intervention compared with the comparison arm (15.9 vs 21.8, AdjDiff -8.67, CI -16.2 to -1.15). There was weak evidence for other outcomes, but a trend was evident favouring the intervention: proportions of women with CAS scores ≥ 7, 51/88 (58.4%) vs 27/42 (64.3%) AdjOR 0.47, CI 0.21 to 1.05); depression (EPDS score ≥ 13) (19/85, 22% (I) vs 14/43, 33% (C); AdjOR 0.42, CI 0.17 to 1.06); physical wellbeing mean scores (PCS-SF36: AdjDiff 2.79; CI -0.40 to 5.99); mental wellbeing mean scores (MCS-SF36: AdjDiff 2.26; CI -1.48 to 6.00). There was no observed effect on parenting stress. 82% of women mentored would recommend mentors to friends in similar situations. CONCLUSION: Non-professional mentor mother support appears promising for improving safety and enhancing physical and mental wellbeing among mothers experiencing intimate partner violence referred from primary care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12607000010493http://www.anzctr.org.au.
Keywords: Adult; Australia; Cluster Analysis; Depression; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Lost to Follow-Up; Maternal Health Services; Mentors; Mothers; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Pregnancy; Pregnant Women; Primary Health Care; Social Support; Spouse Abuse

Japan's emerging challenge for child abuse: system coordination for early prevention of child abuse is needed - Takahashi, K.; Kanda, H.; Sugaya, N. (Biosci Trends, 2014)
At the end of 2013, a Japanese newspaper reported that 4,173 children were unidentified or missing in Japan. The article concluded that child abuse was a matter of national concern. In examining the strengths and weaknesses of Japan's welfare system in regard to child abuse, it would seem that a weakness exists with regard to its ambiguity on the roles of different officers who contact suspected cases. Although three types of officer (health, welfare, and police officers) can take charge, child abuse cases might be missed because the division of labor varies between the different types of officer. However, a strength exists in the periodical pediatric health check system that is in place in each of Japan's 1,742 municipalities. To efficiently implement early intervention for child abuse, it is necessary to rearrange the division of labor among the three types of officers to clarify who should intervene in suspected cases.
1881-7823 Takahashi, Kenzo Kanda, Hideyuki Sugaya, Nagisa Journal Article Japan Biosci Trends. 2014 Aug;8(4):240-1.
Keywords: Child Abuse/diagnosis/legislation & jurisprudence/*prevention &; Child Welfare; Child, Preschool; Community Health Services/*organization & administration; control/statistics & numerical data; Government Programs/*organization & administration; Humans; Infant; Japan; Local Government; Mandatory Reporting

Screen-time is associated with inattention problems in preschoolers: Results from the CHILD birth cohort study - Tamana, Sukhpreet K.; Ezeugwu, Victor; Chikuma, Joyce; Lefebvre, Diana L.; Azad, Meghan B.; Moraes, Theo J.; Subbarao, Padmaja; Becker, Allan B.; Turvey, Stuart E.; Sears, Malcolm R.; Dick, Bruce D.; Carson, Valerie; et al. (PLOS ONE, 2019)

Primary health care and early childhood development - Tamburlini, G.; Manetti, S.; Toffol, G. (Lancet, 2011)
Tamburlini, Giorgio Manetti, Stefania Toffol, Giacomo eng Comment Letter England 2011/12/06 06:00 Lancet. 2011 Dec 3;378(9807):e16. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61838-2.
Keywords: *Child Development; Humans

Fathers’ role in children’s language development - C. S. Tamis-LeMonda; N. J. Cabrera; L. Baumwell (Handbook of Father Involvement: multidsciplinary perspectives, 2014)

Birth preparedness and place of birth in Tandahimba district, Tanzania: what women prepare for birth, where they go to deliver, and why - Tancred, Tara; Marchant, Tanya; Hanson, Claudia; Schellenberg, Joanna; Manzi, Fatuma (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2016)
As making preparations for birth and health facility delivery are behaviours linked to positive maternal and newborn health outcomes, we aimed to describe what birth preparations were made, where women delivered, and why.

Our place in the (E) space: What each parent has to know about the Internet: Perspectives, challenges and responsibilities - TelefonoAzzurro (SOS II Telefono Azzurro NGO, 2017)
Keywords: Bullying; child pornography; cyberbullying; violence prevention

Safe spaces: The urgent need for early childhood development in emergencies and disasters - Theirworld (2016)

Cross-Cultural Advancements in Positive Psychology Youth Resilience and Culture - Theron, L. C.; Liebenberg, L.; Ungar, M. (Springer Netherlands, 2015)

Unprotected: Crisis in humanitarian funding for child protection - Thierry, M.; Fylkensnes, G. K.; Peuschel, M.; Williamson, K. (UNs Children's Fund, 2019)
Keywords: child protection; Human Rights; humanitarian funding

In March, half of visitors to the National Sexual Assault hotline were minors - Thompson, R (Mashable, 2020)
Keywords: Child Abuse; COVID-19; sexual abuse

Opiate use, treatment, and harm reduction in Afghanistan: recent changes and future directions. - Todd, Catherine S; Macdonald, David; Khoshnood, Kaveh; Mansoor, G Farooq; Eggerman, Mark; Panter-Brick, Catherine (Int J Drug Policy, 2012)
Afghanistan leads global opium and cannabis production, amidst concerted efforts to improve the country's infrastructure. In this commentary, the evidence base for drivers of increased drug use in the context of deteriorating security is presented, government, donor, and civil society responses to date are described, and key areas for health policy response are summarized. Opiate use in Afghanistan shows disturbing trends: multiple substances are accessible at low cost and frequently used in combination, and injecting use has become more common. Pressures from both donor and governmental sectors have compromised innovations in programming. Further, civil unrest and resultant displacement have created challenges for programme implementation. Afghanistan urgently needs a well-funded, sustainable, comprehensive, and inclusive programme of drug dependency treatment, aftercare, and harm reduction services, as well as realistic, effective, and culturally salient primary prevention programmes. To date, drug dependence is not a prioritised issue, current programmes are under-resourced, and the continuum of care has a narrow scope generally limited to treatment. Unless this issue is addressed, the next generation of Afghans is poised to become a casualty of the opiate industry.
Keywords: Afghanistan; Aftercare; Agriculture; Cannabis; Harm Reduction; Health Policy; Humans; Opioid-Related Disorders; Opium; Substance Abuse, Intravenous

Improving mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in humanitarian settings: reflections on research funded through R2HCAbstract - Tol, Wietse A.; Ager, Alastair; Bizouerne, Cecile; Bryant, Richard; El Chammay, Rabih; Colebunders, Robert; García-Moreno, Claudia; Hamdani, Syed Usman; James, Leah E.; Jansen, Stefan C.J.; Leku, Marx R.; Likindikoki, Samuel; et al. (Conflict and Health, 2020)
Keywords: humanitarian settings; Mental Health; psychosocial support

Relevance or excellence? Setting research priorities for mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings. - Tol, W. A.; Patel, V.; Tomlinson, M.; Baingana, F.; Galappatti, A.; Silove, D.; Sondorp, E.; van Ommeren, M.; Wessells, M. G.; Panter-Brick, C. (Harv Rev Psychiatry, 2012)
BACKGROUND: Humanitarian crises are associated with an increase in mental disorders and psychological distress. Despite the emerging consensus on intervention strategies in humanitarian settings, the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in humanitarian settings lacks a consensus-based research agenda. METHODS: From August 2009 to February 2010, we contacted policymakers, academic researchers, and humanitarian aid workers, and conducted nine semistructured focus group discussions with 114 participants in three locations (Peru, Uganda, and Nepal), in both the capitals and remote humanitarian settings. Local stakeholders representing a range of academic expertise (psychiatry, psychology, social work, child protection, and medical anthropology) and organizations (governments, universities, nongovernmental organizations, and U.N. agencies) were asked to identify priority questions for MHPSS research in humanitarian settings, and to discuss factors that hamper and facilitate research. RESULTS: Thematic analyses of transcripts show that participants broadly agreed on prioritized research themes in the following order: (1) the prevalence and burden of mental health and psychosocial difficulties in humanitarian settings, (2) how MHPSS implementation can be improved, (3) evaluation of specific MHPSS interventions, (4) the determinants of mental health and psychological distress, and (5) improved research methods and processes. Rather than differences in research themes across countries, what emerged was a disconnect between different groups of stakeholders regarding research processes: the perceived lack of translation of research findings into actual policy and programs; misunderstanding of research methods by aid workers; different appreciation of the time needed to conduct research; and disputed universality of research constructs. CONCLUSIONS: To advance a collaborative research agenda, actors in this field need to bridge the perceived disconnect between the goals of "relevance" and "excellence." Research needs to be more sensitive to questions and concerns arising from humanitarian interventions, and practitioners need to take research findings into account in designing interventions.
Keywords: Altruism; Female; Focus Groups; Health Services Research; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Mental Health Services; Nepal; Peru; Relief Work; Research; Research Design; Social Support; Uganda

Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: linking practice and research - Tol, W. A.; Barbui, C.; Galappatti, A.; Silove, D.; Betancourt, T. S.; Souza, R.; Golaz, A.; van Ommeren, M. (Lancet, 2011)
This review links practice, funding, and evidence for interventions for mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in humanitarian settings. We studied practice by reviewing reports of mental health and psychosocial support activities (2007-10); funding by analysis of the financial tracking service and the creditor reporting system (2007-09); and interventions by systematic review and meta-analysis. In 160 reports, the five most commonly reported activities were basic counselling for individuals (39%); facilitation of community support of vulnerable individuals (23%); provision of child-friendly spaces (21%); support of community-initiated social support (21%); and basic counselling for groups and families (20%). Most interventions took place and were funded outside national mental health and protection systems. 32 controlled studies of interventions were identified, 13 of which were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that met the criteria for meta-analysis. Two studies showed promising effects for strengthening community and family supports. Psychosocial wellbeing was not included as an outcome in the meta-analysis, because its definition varied across studies. In adults with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), meta-analysis of seven RCTs showed beneficial effects for several interventions (psychotherapy and psychosocial supports) compared with usual care or waiting list (standardised mean difference [SMD] -0.38, 95% CI -0.55 to -0.20). In children, meta-analysis of four RCTs failed to show an effect for symptoms of PTSD (-0.36, -0.83 to 0.10), but showed a beneficial effect of interventions (group psychotherapy, school-based support, and other psychosocial support) for internalising symptoms (six RCTs; SMD -0.24, -0.40 to -0.09). Overall, research and evidence focuses on interventions that are infrequently implemented, whereas the most commonly used interventions have had little rigorous scrutiny.
Tol, Wietse A Barbui, Corrado Galappatti, Ananda Silove, Derrick Betancourt, Theresa S Souza, Renato Golaz, Anne van Ommeren, Mark eng K01 MH077246/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ Comparative Study Review England 2011/10/20 06:00 Lancet. 2011 Oct 29;378(9802):1581-91. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61094-5. Epub 2011 Oct 16.
Keywords: *Altruism; *Biomedical Research; *Mental Health; Academic Medical Centers; Adult; Connecticut; Counseling; Female; Humans; Interdisciplinary Communication; Male; Mental Disorders/economics/*therapy; Mental Health Services/*organization & administration; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Program Evaluation; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology; Psychotherapy/economics/methods; Treatment Outcome

Research priorities for mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings. - Tol, W. A.; Patel, V.; Tomlinson, M.; Baingana, F.; Galappatti, A.; Panter-Brick, C.; Silove, D.; Sondorp, E.; Wessells, M.; van Ommeren, M. (PLoS Med, 2011)
Keywords: Altruism; Delivery of Health Care; Disasters; Health Services Research; Humans; Internationality; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Social Support; War

Research priority setting for integrated early child development and violence prevention (ECD+) in low and middle income countries: An expert opinion exercise - Tomlinson, M.; Jordans, M.; MacMillan, H.; Betancourt, T.; Hunt, X.; Mikton, C. (Child Abuse Negl, 2017)
Child development in low and middle income countries (LMIC) is compromised by multiple risk factors. Reducing children's exposure to harmful events is essential for early childhood development (ECD). In particular, preventing violence against children - a highly prevalent risk factor that negatively affects optimal child development - should be an intervention priority. We used the Child Health and Nutrition Initiative (CHNRI) method for the setting of research priorities in integrated Early Childhood Development and violence prevention programs (ECD+). An expert group was identified and invited to systematically list and score research questions. A total of 186 stakeholders were asked to contribute five research questions each, and contributions were received from 81 respondents. These were subsequently evaluated using a set of five criteria: answerability; effectiveness; feasibility and/or affordability; applicability and impact; and equity. Of the 400 questions generated, a composite group of 50 were scored by 55 respondents. The highest scoring research questions related to the training of Community Health Workers (CHW's) to deliver ECD+ interventions effectively and whether ECD+ interventions could be integrated within existing delivery platforms such as HIV, nutrition or mental health platforms. The priority research questions can direct new research initiatives, mainly in focusing on the effectiveness of an ECD+ approach, as well as on service delivery questions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic exercise of its kind in the field of ECD+. The findings from this research priority setting exercise can help guide donors and other development actors towards funding priorities for important future research related to ECD and violence prevention.
Tomlinson, Mark Jordans, Mark MacMillan, Harriet Betancourt, Theresa Hunt, Xanthe Mikton, Christopher eng Comparative Study England 2017/08/13 06:00 Child Abuse Negl. 2017 Oct;72:131-139. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.07.021. Epub 2017 Aug 9.
Keywords: *Developing Countries; *Research; Adolescent; Child; Child Abuse/*prevention & control; Child, Preschool; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Developmental Disabilities/*prevention & control; Domestic Violence/*prevention & control; Early child development; Ecd+; Exposure to Violence/*prevention & control; Feasibility Studies; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Integrated early childhood development; Interdisciplinary Communication; Intersectoral Collaboration; Peer Group; Priority setting; Risk Factors; Social Environment; violence prevention

The efficacy of toddler-parent psychotherapy to reorganize attachment in the young offspring of mothers with major depressive disorder: a randomized preventive trial. - Toth, Sheree L; Rogosch, Fred A; Manly, Jody Todd; Cicchetti, Dante (J Consult Clin Psychol, 2006)
The development of insecure attachment relationships in the offspring of mothers with major depressive disorder (MDD) may initiate a negative trajectory leading to future psychopathology. Therefore, the provision of theoretically guided interventions designed to promote secure attachment is of paramount importance. Mothers who had experienced MDD since their child's birth were recruited (n = 130) and randomized to toddler-parent psychotherapy (DI) or to a control group (DC). Nondepressed mothers with no current or history of major mental disorder and their toddlers also were recruited for a nondepressed comparison group (NC; n = 68). Children averaged 20.34 months of age at the initial assessment. Higher rates of insecure attachment were present in both the DI and the DC groups at baseline, relative to the NC group. At postintervention, at age 36 months, insecure attachment continued to predominate in the DC group. In contrast, the rate of secure attachment had increased substantially in the DI group and was higher than that for the DC and the NC groups. These results demonstrate the efficacy of toddler-parent psychotherapy in fostering secure attachment relationships in young children of depressed mothers.
Keywords: Adult; Child of Impaired Parents; Child, Preschool; Combined Modality Therapy; Depressive Disorder, Major; Family Therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Male; Mothers; Object Attachment; Psychological Theory; Psychotherapy; Reactive Attachment Disorder; Treatment Outcome

The impact of racism on child and adolescent health - Trent, M.; Dooley. D.G.; Dougé, J.; SECTION ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH, COUNCIL ON COMMUNITY PEDIATRICS, COMMITTEE ON ADOLESCENCE (Pediatrics, 2019)
Keywords: child and adolescent health; racism

Response to Commentaries on Taking Stock and Moving Forward: Research on Asian American Child Development - Tseng, V.; Kiang, L.; Mistry, J.; Mistry, R. S.; Wang, Y.; Yoshikawa, H. (Child Dev, 2016)
We briefly respond here to the commentaries to the Special Section focused on Asian American child development by Cheah, Lee, Beaupre, and Zhou, and McLoyd. We consider three questions raised in their comments. What does it mean to focus on Asian Americans? How should we examine development across the life course? How can we generate more policy- and practice-relevant research?.
Tseng, Vivian Kiang, Lisa Mistry, Jayanthi Mistry, Rashmita S Wang, Yijie Yoshikawa, Hirokazu eng Comment 2016/07/10 06:00 Child Dev. 2016 Jul;87(4):1066-8. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12579.
Keywords: *Asian Americans; *Research; Child Development; Humans

Taking Stock and Moving Forward: Research on Asian American Child Development - Tseng, V.; Kiang, L.; Mistry, J.; Mistry, R. S.; Wang, Y.; Yoshikawa, H. (Child Dev, 2016)
With this Special Section, the Asian Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development seeks to promote a more inclusive, expanded, and holistic developmental science that can account for the diversity of developmental trajectories among Asian Americans. The articles elucidate, in turn, historical, conceptual, and methodological issues in studying Asian American child development. Although the articles foreground Asian Americans, the ideas should help advance theoretical and empirical work for other racial and ethnic groups, thereby contributing to a more valid understanding of child development.
Tseng, Vivian Kiang, Lisa Mistry, Jayanthi Mistry, Rashmita S Wang, Yijie Yoshikawa, Hirokazu eng Introductory 2016/07/10 06:00 Child Dev. 2016 Jul;87(4):989-94. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12574.
Keywords: *Asian Americans; *Child Development; Child; Humans

Early Childhood Programs as the Doorway to Social Cohesion: Application of Vygotsky’s Ideas from an East-West Perspective - A. Tuna; J. Hayden (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010)

Childhood adversity and epigenetic modulation of the leukocyte glucocorticoid receptor: preliminary findings in healthy adults. - Tyrka, Audrey R; Price, Lawrence H; Marsit, Carmen; Walters, Oakland C; Carpenter, Linda L (PLoS One, 2012)
BACKGROUND: A history of early adverse experiences is an important risk factor for adult psychopathology. Changes in stress sensitivity and functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may underlie the association between stress and risk for psychiatric disorders. Preclinical work in rodents has linked low levels of maternal care to increased methylation of the promoter region of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene, as well as to exaggerated hormonal and behavioral responses to stress. Recent studies have begun to examine whether early-life stress leads to epigenetic modifications of the GR gene in humans. METHODS: We examined the degree of methylation of a region of the promoter of the human GR gene (NR3C1) in leukocyte DNA from 99 healthy adults. Participants reported on their childhood experiences of parental behavior, parental death or desertion, and childhood maltreatment. On a separate day, participants completed the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test, a standardized neuroendocrine challenge test. RESULTS: Disruption or lack of adequate nurturing, as measured by parental loss, childhood maltreatment, and parental care, was associated with increased NR3C1 promoter methylation (p<.05). In addition, NR3C1 promoter methylation was linked to attenuated cortisol responses to the Dex/CRH test (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that childhood maltreatment or adversity may lead to epigenetic modifications of the human GR gene. Alterations in methylation of this gene could underlie the associations between childhood adversity, alterations in stress reactivity, and risk for psychopathology.
Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Base Sequence; Child; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; CpG Islands; Dexamethasone; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis, Genetic; Female; Health; Humans; Leukocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Sequence Data; Neuroendocrinology; Receptors, Glucocorticoid; Stress, Psychological; Young Adult

The Rights of Children for Optimal Development and Nurturing Care - Uchitel, Julie; Alden, Errol; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Goldhagen, Jeffrey; Narayan, Aditee Pradhan; Raman, Shanti; Spencer, Nick; Wertlieb, Donald; Wettach, Jane; Woolfenden, Sue; Mikati, Mohamad A. (Pediatrics, 2019)
Keywords: international child health

How investing in early childhood contributes to the Global Goals - Ullman, M.; Hyder, T.; Halaimzai, Z.; Elattar, N.; Shrikhande, A. (Medium, 2019)
Keywords: early childhood development (ECD); Global Goals; peacebuilding; responsive caregiving; Social cohesion; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); violence prevention

UN General Assembly report of the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty United Nations, A /74/136 - UNGA (2019)
Keywords: child protection; child rights; Human Rights

Refugee education 2030: A strategy for refugee inclusion - UNHCR (UNHCR, 2019)
Keywords: Education; inclusion; Refugee; refugee education

Missing out: Refugee education in crisis - UNHCR (UNHCR, 2016)
Opportunities to learn diminish greatly when children are forced to flee their homes and as they grow older, a troubling report from UNHCR has found.
Keywords: inequality; refugee and migrant children; refugee education

Desperate journeys - UNHCR (2017)
Keywords: refugees and migrants

United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) | Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework - UNHCR (2017)
Keywords: refugees and migrants

Violent Conflict and Educational Inequality - UNICEF (FHI 360 Education Policy and Data Center, 2016)

Family-friendly policies and other good workplace practices in the context of COVID-19: Key steps employers can take - UNICEF; ILO; UNWomen (UNICEF, 2020)
This document offers (interim) recommendations for employers to mitigate the negative consequences stemming from COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; employers; Family; policy; workplace

Mapping the global goals for sustainable development and the Convention on the Rights of the Child - UNICEF; Wernham, M. (UNICEF, 2016)
Keywords: Convention on the Rights of the Child; sustainable development goals

Podcast Children at Heart | Protecting children's rights during a lockdown - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
In this episode we hear from Angie Makwetla Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission Responsible for Children's Rights. She offers perspective on how children’s rights have been impacted by COVID-19 and the lockdown – and why she’s hopeful that we’ll emerge stronger as a nation on the other side of this pandemic.
Keywords: child rights; COVID-19

Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward - UNICEF; ILO (UNICEF, International Labour Organization (ILO), 2021)
Keywords: child labour; COVID-19

COMMENCER DÈS LE PLUS JEUNE ÂGE À ÉDIFIER DES SOCIÉTÉS PLUS FORTES ET PLUS PACIFIQUES (FR) - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2015)
Des millions d’enfants de par le monde vivent dans un climat de conflit, de violence et d’insécurité. Face à la multiplication des situations d’urgence et des crises, l’UNICEF s’engage à protéger le développement des enfants et à contribuer à des sociétés résilientes et durables. Compte tenu des liens étroits dûment otés dans les nouveaux Objectifs de développement durable qui unissent le développement social et la paix, l’UNICEF élabore avec ses partenaires des interventions novatrices en matière de développement du jeune enfant visant à faire reculer la violence, promouvoir la paix et jeter des bases solides pour que les enfants grandissent en bonne santé et deviennent des membres actifs et engagés de leur communauté
Keywords: early childhood development; peacebuilding

Conflict Sensitivity and Peacebuilding in UNICEF Technical Note - UNICEF (2012)

Conflict Sensitivity and Peacebuilding: Programming Guide - UNICEF (2016)

Early childhood development, a statistical snapshot: Building better brains and outcomes for children - UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2014)
Keywords: early childhood development

Early moments matter for every child - UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2017)
Keywords: early childhood development; neuroscience

UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2019: Overview - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2019)
Keywords: child protection; children; Health; Humanitarianism; nutrition; violence prevention

Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for tackling the climate crisis. From uniting behind the science to the power of small actions - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
Keywords: climate crisis; COVID-19

The state of the world's children 2019: Growing well in a changing world children, food and nutrition - UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2019)
Keywords: child rights; global; Health; nutrition

UNICEF: Child Protection Strategy 2021-2030 - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2021)
Keywords: child rights and protection; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); UNICEF

Investment in Equity and Peacebuilding: South Africa Case Study - UNICEF (FHI 360 Education Policy and Data Center, 2015)

Beyond borders: How to make the global compacts on migration and refugees work for uprooted children - UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2017)
Keywords: Displacement; refugees and migrants

Building better brains: New frontiers in Early Childhood Development - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2014)
Keywords: early childhood development; neuroscience

For every child a fair chance. The promise of equity - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2015)
Keywords: equity for children

Podcast Children at Heart | Parenting under lockdown - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
In episode 2 of Children at Heart – the UNICEF South Africa podcast, we speak to Gloria Khoza, UNICEF Child Protection Officer. She offers timely advice on how to keep calm, and parent under lockdown. She also shares great tips for those of us living in constrained spaces.

Supporting Families for Nurturing Care: Resource Modules for Home Visitors - UNICEF; ISSA (2016)
Keywords: home visiting; nurturing care

Starting early to build stronger and more peaceful societies (Eng) - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2015)
Millions of children around the world are living through conflict, violence and insecurity. With emergencies and protracted crises on the rise, UNICEF is committed to safeguarding children ’s development and contributing to resilient and sustainable societies. Recognizing the interconnectedness of social development and peace articulated in the new Sustainable Development Goals, UNICEF is working with partners on innovative early childhood development (ECD) interventions to reduce violence, promote peace, and provide a robust foundation for children to grow into healthy, active and engaged community members.
Keywords: early childhood development; peacebuilding

A familiar face: Violence in the lives of children and adolescents - UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2017)
Keywords: Child Abuse; sexual violence; violence exposure; violence prevention

Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children - UNICEF (2014)

Missing from the story: The urgent need for better data to protect children on the move. IDAC Data InSIGHT # 1 - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2021)
Keywords: child rights and protection; migrant and refugee children

Guide to: Conflict Analysis - UNICEF (2016)

Women Motherhood Early Childhood Development - UNICEF; Ravnbol, C. I. (UNICEF, 2011)
Exploring the question of how poor Roma women's status and situation influences children's survival, growth and development.
Keywords: early childhood development; motherhood; poverty and discrimination

Learning for Peace narratives from the field: A compendium of programme statistics 2012/2016 - UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2018)
Keywords: conflict resolution; early childhood development; peacebuilding; resilience; risk-informed education; Social cohesion; Unicef's Peacebuilding Education and Advocacy Programme (PBEA); youth empowerment

UNICEFs program guidance for early childhood development - UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2017)
Keywords: early childhood development

Transforming the lives of children in Rwanda: Investing in family and community-centered services - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2018)
Keywords: early childhood development (ECD); health services; responsive caregiving; Rwanda; social protection

Harrowing journeys - UNICEF; IOM (UNICEF, 2017)
Children and youth on the move across the Mediterranean Sear, at risk of trafficking and exploitation
Keywords: child exploitation; child trafficking; migrant and refugee children; trafficking and exploitation

Investment in Equity and Peacebuilding: Uganda Case Study - UNICEF (FHI 360 Education Policy and Data Center, 2015)

Pan-African Symposium on Education, Resilience and Social Cohesion - Strengthening Education Policies and Programmes to Achieve SDGs and Africa’s Agenda 2063 - UNICEF (Peacebuilding Education and Advocacy in Conflict-affected Contexts Programme, 2016)

A generation to protect: Monitoring violence, exploitation and abuse of children within the SDG framework - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
Keywords: child abuse and neglect; SDG framework; SDGs; sustainable development goals; violence against children

Early childhood education and peacebuilding in post-conflict Northern and Eastern Uganda - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2015)
Achievements, challenges and lessons learned
Keywords: Early childhood education; peacebuilding; peacebuilding advocacy; peacebuilding education; Uganda

Podcast Children at Heart | Mental health, children & COVID-19 - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
Will childhood ever be the same again beyond COVID-19? There’s a growing concern around the impact of the Coronavirus on the mental health and wellbeing of children, who may have a lot of questions, frustrations and fears that they’re not always able to articulate.
Keywords: child mental health; COVID-19

One in three: Internet governance and children's rights - UNICEF (UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, 2016)
Keywords: child protection; children's rights; governance; Internet

Family-friendly policies: Redesigning the workplace of the future. A policy brief. - UNICEF (UNICF, 2019)
Keywords: breastfeeding; child benefits; families; family-friendly policies; parental leave; quality childcare

Lebanon: Children’s future on the line - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2021)
Keywords: Beirut; COVID-19; Displaced persons; early childhood care and education; early childhood development; governance and policy; Humanitarianism; Lebanon; refugees and migrants

Mental health and psychosocial support for children in humanitarian settings: An updated review of evidence and practice (November 2020) - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2021)
Keywords: Education; Health; Human Rights; Protection

The links between Equity, Governance, Education and Peacebuilding in Kenya - UNICEF (2016)

The state of the world’s children: Adolescence – An age of opportunity - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2011)

Best of UNICEF research 2017. Miscellanea UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, Florence - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2017)
Keywords: child protection; development research; disabled children; Education; evaluation research; Health; participatory research; Research; research methods

Does horizontal education inequality lead to violent conflict? - UNICEF (FHI 360 EDUCATION POLICY AND DATA CENTER, 2015)

Research on the Sexual Exploitation of Boys: Findings, ethical considerations and methodological challenges - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
Keywords: boys; child abuse and neglect; child sexual abuse

Quantifying Heckman: Are Governments in Eastern and Southern Africa Maximizing Returns on Investments in Early Childhood Development? - UNICEF (UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, 2021)
Keywords: early childhood development; Eastern and Southern Africa; Education

Early childhood development in emergencies. Integrated programme guide - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2014)
Keywords: early childhood development; ECD in emergencies; violence exposure

Global resource guide on public finance for children in early childhood development - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
Keywords: early childhood development; Education; global

Are Children Really Learning? Exploring foundational skills in the midst of a learning crisis - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2022)
Keywords: COVID-19; data and analysis; Early childhood education; gender inequality; Poverty

UNICEF Programme Report 2012-2016 - UNICEF (Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy in Conflict-Affected Contexts (, 2016)

Global kids online research synthesis, 2015-2016 - UNICEF (UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, 2016)
Keywords: adolescents; Internet; social surveys

Averting a lost COVID generation A six-point plan to respond, recover and reimagine a post-pandemic world for every child - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
Keywords: child rights and protection; COVID-19; UNICEF

Education Inequality and Violent Conflict: Evidence and Policy Considerations - UNICEF (FHI 360 Education Policy and Data Center, 2016)

Evaluation of UNICEF's Peacebuilding, Education, and Advocacy Programme (PBEA) - UNICEF (2015)

The state of the world’s children 2006: excluded and invisible - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2006)

South African Child Support Grant Impact Assessment - UNICEF; SASSA; SocialDevelopment (Pretoria: Dept. of Social Development., 2012)

Uprooted. The growing crisis for refugee and migrant children - UNICEF; Garin, E.; Beise, J.; Hug, L.; You, D.; Mukerjee, A. (UNICEF, 2016)
Keywords: migration and displacement; refugee and migrant children

Podcast Children at Heart | Caring for every child in a time of COVID-19 - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2020)
In this episode we speak to Mayke Huijbregts, Chief of Social Policy and Child Protection for UNICEF South Africa. We also speak to Dr Garth Japhet, founder of Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication, and CEO of Heartlines, the Centre for Values Promotion.
Keywords: COVID-19; early childhood care

ACTUAR PRONTO PARA CONSTRUIR SOCIEDADES MÁS SÓLIDAS Y PACÍFICAS (SP) - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2015)
Millones de niños y niñas de todo el mundo viven en situaciones de conflicto, violencia e inseguridad. En un momento en el que aumentan las emergencias y las  crisis prolongadas, UNICEF se compromete a amparar el desarrollo de los niños y contribuir al logro de sociedades resilientes y sostenibles. Consciente de la interconexión entre el desarrollo social y la paz articulada en los nuevos Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible, UNICEF trabaja con diversos asociados diseñando intervenciones innovadoras sobre el desarrollo del niño en la primera infancia (DNPI) a fin de reducir la violencia, promover la paz y ofrecer una base firme sobre la cual los niños puedan crecer y convertirse en miembros de la comunidad saludables, activos y comprometidos.
Keywords: early childhood development; peacebuilding

Horizontal Inequality in Education and Violent Conflict - UNICEF (FHI 360 Education Policy and Data Center, 2015)

Compendium of Resources | Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). What you need to know about the virus to protect you and your family - UNICEF (2020)
Read the latest news, information and features on COVID-19 Advice for parents and families on coping with COVID-19 How UNICEF and partners are helping children around the world Media resources, including press releases and statements
Keywords: Caregivers; children; COVID-19; educators; Parents; resilience

Early childhood development and family services: Baseline evaluation in 20 sites in Rwanda. - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2014)
Keywords: child health; early childhood development; family services; responsive caregiving; Rwanda

How does the time children spend using digital technology impact their mental well-being, social relationships and physical activity? An evidence-focused literature review - UNICEF (UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, 2017)
Keywords: information technology; Mental Health; Social Behavior

The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis. Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index. - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2021)
Keywords: child rights and protection; climate change; UNICEF

Follow-up to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2018)
Keywords: Culture of Peace

Annual report of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary - General on Violence against Children - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2018)
Keywords: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; violence against children

Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - UnitedNations (2015)
Keywords: United Nations

Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Report of the Secretary-General - UnitedNations (United Nations, 2020)
Keywords: migration; United Nations

Strong foundations: Early childhood care and education. - UnitedNations (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Paper for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, 2007)

The Global Compact for Refugees (GCR) - UnitedNations (2018)

International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World, 2001-2010 - UnitedNations; General Assembly (1998)
Keywords: United Nations

Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2015)
Keywords: Violent extremism

Charter of the United Nations - UnitedNations (1945)

The Dakar Framework for Action on Education (EFA) - UnitedNations (UNESCO, 2000)

Concurrent resolution with the General Assembly on the review of the UN peacebuilding architecture - UnitedNations; Security Council (2016)

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) - UnitedNations (Global Compact for Migration, 2018)

A world fit for children - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2002)

International Year for the Culture of Peace 2000 - UnitedNations; General Assembly (1997)
Keywords: United Nations

Policy Brief: COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health - UnitedNations (United Nations, 2020)
Keywords: COVID-19; Mental Health; policy

New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2016)
Keywords: Refugees

Global study on children deprived of liberty - UnitedNations (2019)
Keywords: deprived childhood

United Nations millennium declaration - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2000)

Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on children - UnitedNations (United Nations, 2020)
The UN Secretary General’s report on COVID19 and children was issued on April 16, 2020. The Secretary General called for urgent action to support the world’s children amid the COVID-19 global crisis.
Keywords: child health; child safety; COVID-19

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020 - UnitedNations (United Nations, 2020)
"The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020 presents an overview of progress towards the SDGs before the pandemic started, but it also looks at some of the devastating initial impacts of COVID-19 on specific Goals and targets. The report was prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with over 200 experts from more than 40 international agencies using the latest available data and estimates."
Keywords: SDGs; sustainable development goals

Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security - UnitedNations; Security Council (2015)
Keywords: United Nations Security Concil

Reaching the Marginalized - UnitedNations (EFA Global Monitoring report 2010, Education for All, 2010)

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019 - UnitedNations (United Nations, 2019)
Keywords: SDG; SDGs; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Convention on the rights of the child. United Nations Treaty Series - UnitedNations; General Assembly (1989)

Follow-up to the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2017)
Keywords: United Nations

The Dakar framework for action on education global monitoring report: The hidden crisis - armed conflict and education - UnitedNations (UNESCO, 2011)

Peace Resolutions - UnitedNations; General Assembly (2016)
Keywords: United Nations General Assembly

Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace - UnitedNations; General Assembly (1999)

Compendium of Resources | Distance learning solutions (UNESCO) - UnitedNationsEducationalScientificCulturalOrganization (2020)
The list of educational applications, platforms and resources below aim to help parents, teachers, schools and school administrators facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction during periods of school closure. Most of the solutions curated are free and many cater to multiple languages. (See: https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/solutions)
Keywords: childcare workers; COVID-19; educators

Best practices and specific measures to ensure access to birth registration, particularly for those children most at risk* - UnitedNationsGeneralAssembly (2018)

Enhancing Access to Services for Migrants in the Context of COVID-19 Preparedness, Prevention, and Response and Beyond - UnitedNationsNetworkonMigration (United Nations Network on Migration, 2020)
Keywords: COVID-19; Displaced persons; migration; Refugees

Third UN Security Council Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security (Resolution 2535 (2020)) - UnitedNationsSecurityCouncil (2020)
Keywords: peacebuilding; violence prevention; youth leadership

Youth and peace and security. Report of the Secretary-General - UnitedNationsSecurityCouncil (United Nations, 2020)
Keywords: peace; security; United Nations; youth leadership

The private sector and the prevention of violence against children in Latin America and the Caribbean - UnitedNationsSRSGViolenceAgainstChildren; UNICEF (UNICEF, UN Special Representative on to the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, 2018)
Keywords: violence against children; violence prevention

Negotiating Across Cultures ... Communication Obstacles in International Diplomacy - UnitedStatesInstituteofPeace (publisher not identified, 1999)

Early Childhood Development: What happens in the first eight years - Edith Cowan University (Edith Cowan University, 2021)
Keywords: Early chiildhood development; Education and training

A Call to Strengthen Mental Health Supports for Refugee Children and Youth - Burbage, Michelle L.; Klein Walker, Deborah (NAM Perspectives, 2018)

Preventing conflict, transforming justice, securing the peace: A global study on the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 - UNWomen (2015)
Keywords: violence prevention

Journal of Peace Research - Urdal, H (2015)
Keywords: peace making

Antistress Pattern Induced by Oxytocin. - Uvnäs-Moberg, K. (News Physiol Sci, 1998)
Repeated oxytocin injections cause lowered blood pressure, decreased cortisol levels, increased withdrawal latency, increased release of vagally controlled gastrointestinal hormones, and increased weight gain. Together, these effects form an antistress pattern. Nonnoxious sensory stimuli release oxytocin and induce an effect spectrum similar to the one caused by oxytocin injections.

Oxytocin and prolactin levels in breast-feeding women. Correlation with milk yield and duration of breast-feeding. - Uvnäs-Moberg, K.; Widström, A. M.; Werner, S.; Matthiesen, A. S.; Winberg, J. (Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, 1990)
The aim of the present study was to examine suckling-related plasma levels of oxytocin and prolactin in early and established lactation and to correlate hormone profiles to success of lactation performance. Fifty-five primiparous women participated in the study. From each, 18 blood samples were drawn in connection with breast-feeding on day 4 post partum and after 3-4 months. Oxytocin and prolactin levels were determined with radio-immunoassay. Basal levels of both hormones were significantly higher 4 days post partum than 3-4 months later and after weaning. Basal prolactin levels fell significantly within 24 h of weaning. Oxytocin and prolactin levels rose in response to breast-feeding--an effect which persisted during the lactation period. The suckling-induced release of prolactin--but not that of oxytocin--was related to basal hormone levels. Basal as well as stimulated oxytocin levels obtained 4 days and 3-4 months post partum correlated significantly, indicating that each woman has an individual, characteristic level of this hormone. Milk yield did not correlate with oxytocin or prolactin levels, but prolactin levels recorded 3-4 months post partum did correlate with the remaining period of breast-feeding. In addition, mothers who breast-fed exclusively 3-4 months post partum had significantly higher oxytocin and prolactin levels than those who gave supplementary feed. There was a significant correlation between oxytocin levels at 4 days and birth weight of the infant.
Keywords: Adult; Analgesia, Obstetrical; Apgar Score; Birth Weight; Breast Feeding; Episiotomy; Female; Humans; Infant Food; Infant, Newborn; Lactation; Milk, Human; Oxytocin; Prolactin; Radioimmunoassay; Sucking Behavior

The relationships between personality traits and plasma gastrin, cholecystokinin, somatostatin, insulin, and oxytocin levels in healthy women. - Uvnäs-Moberg, K.; Arn, I.; Jonsson, C. O.; Ek, S.; Nilsonne, A. (J Psychosom Res, 1993)
In earlier studies performed on a group of women with gastrointestinal symptoms, significant positive correlations between the gastrointestinal hormone gastrin and anxiety, and a negative correlation with socialization were obtained. These and other relationships were tested on 33 healthy women. A comprehensive and concise statistical model was used for the analysis of correlations between, on one hand, the levels of oxytocin and the gastrointestinal hormones gastrin, cholecystokinin, somatostatin and insulin, and, on the other hand, personality traits. Almost all explained variance of the hormone levels could be referred to three personality trait factors, Anxiety, Aggressive non-conformity, and Detachment. The statistical explanation of the gastrin level variance was most successful, the three personality trait factors explaining 48% of this variance. Gastrin "increased" Anxiety while reducing Aggressive non-conformity and Detachment. A similar pattern for insulin was also reliable. Considering general trends, the negative correlations between all hormones and Detachment are interesting. Present data suggest that there is a psychoendocrinological antithesis to the fight-flight individual, characterized by high activity in the sympathoadrenal system: these contrasting persons, with high levels of the gastrointestinal hormones gastrin and insulin, tend to be warm and caring and non-aggressive--but often not free from anxiety. We do not think that the demonstrated associations between hormone levels and personality traits implicate a direct causal relationship. They rather may mirror the activity of centrally acting or hypothalamic control systems which influence both behavioural and endocrine profiles.
Keywords: Adult; Cholecystokinin; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Gastrins; Hormones; Humans; Insulin; Middle Aged; Oxytocin; Personality; Reference Values; Somatostatin

Oxytocin may mediate the benefits of positive social interaction and emotions. - Uvnäs-Moberg, K (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 1998)
During breastfeeding or suckling, maternal oxytocin levels are raised by somatosensory stimulation. Oxytocin may, however, also be released by nonnoxious stimuli such as touch, warm temperature etc. in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid. Consequently, oxytocin may be involved in physiological and behavioral effects induced by social interaction in a more general context. In both male and female rats oxytocin exerts potent physiological antistress effects. If daily oxytocin injections are repeated over a 5-day period, blood pressure is decreased by 10-20 mmHg, the withdrawal latency to heat stimuli is prolonged, cortisol levels are decreased and insulin and cholecystokinin levels are increased. These effects last from 1 to several weeks after the last injection. After repeated oxytocin treatment weight gain may be promoted and the healing rate of wounds increased. Most behavioral and physiological effects induced by oxytocin can be blocked by oxytocin antagonists. In contrast, the antistress effects can not, suggesting that unidentified oxytocin receptors may exist. The prolonged latency in the tail-flick test can be temporarily reversed by administration of naloxone, suggesting that endogenous opioid activity has been increased by the oxytocin injections. In contrast, the long-term lowering of blood pressure and of cortisol levels as well as the sedative effects of oxytocin have been found to be related to an increased activity of central alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Positive social interactions have been related to health-promoting effects. Oxytocin released in response to social stimuli may be part of a neuroendocrine substrate which underlies the benefits of positive social experiences. Such processes may in addition explain the health-promoting effects of certain alternative therapies. Because of the special properties of oxytocin, including the fact that it can become conditioned to psychological state or imagery, oxytocin may also mediate the benefits attributed to therapies such as hypnosis or meditation.
Keywords: Animals; Breast Feeding; Emotions; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Lactation; Male; Neurosecretory Systems; Object Attachment; Oxytocin; Parents

Navigating irregularity: The impact of growing up undocumented in Europe - Van der Vennet, L.; Van den Bogaard, R.; LeVoy, M. (Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), 2021)
Keywords: displaced children; Migrant children; Undocumented children

Prosocial development and situational morality: Neurobiological, parental, and contextual factors - van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J. (Pathways to peace: The transformative power of children and families, 2014)
Prosocial behavior is any (voluntary) behavior intended to benefit others, and it is one of the potential contributions that an individual can make toward a more peaceful world. In this chapter, neurobiological, parental, and situational factors that might shape the prosocial behavior of children are discussed and emerging prosocial and antisocial behavior in infancy is reviewed and the question posed whether prosociality is inborn or obtained through socialization by parents. Twin studies suggest a considerable genetic component in prosociality, but current molecular genetic studies fail to support this outcome. Studies on gene-environment interaction, in particular on differential susceptibility, might be more promising as the influence of the family1 and wider social context on prosocial development seems undeniable. Hormonal influences on prosocial behavior have recently been studied using intranasal oxytocin administration, and some studies on prosociality related to neural activity and brain morphology in children have become available. This chapter ends with some thoughts and findings on situational morality. Environmental “nudges” might play a more important role than is currently acknowledged in child development research and theories of prosociality.
Keywords: brain morphology in children; gene-environment interactions; infant prosociality; Oxytocin

A sniff of trust: meta-analysis of the effects of intranasal oxytocin administration on face recognition, trust to in-group, and trust to out-group. - van IJzendoorn, M. H.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2012)
The neuropeptide oxytocin has a popular reputation of being the 'love' hormone. Here we test meta-analytically whether experiments with intranasal administration of oxytocin provide support for the proposed effects of oxytocin. Three psychological effects were subjected to meta-analysis: facial emotion recognition (13 effect sizes, N=408), in-group trust (8 effect sizes, N=317), and out-group trust (10 effect sizes; N=505). We found that intranasal oxytocin administration enhances the recognition of facial expressions of emotions, and that it elevates the level of in-group trust. The hypothesis that out-group trust is significantly decreased in the oxytocin condition was not supported. It is concluded that a sniff of oxytocin can change emotion perception and behavior in trusting relationships.
Keywords: Administration, Intranasal; Clinical Trials as Topic; Emotions; Facial Expression; Female; Humans; Male; Oxytocin; Peer Group; Photic Stimulation; Recognition (Psychology); Sex Characteristics; Time Factors; Trust; Visual Perception

Sustaining warm and inclusive transitions across the Early Years. Final report with implications for policies and practices - Van Laere, K.; Boudry, C.; Balduzzi, L.; Lazzari, A.; Prodger, A.; Welsh, C.; Geraghty, S.; Režek, M.; Mlinar, M. (Educational Research Institute (ERI), 2019)
Keywords: policy and practice; school readiness

Using racial and ethnic concepts: The critical case of very young children - VanAusdale, D.; Feagin, J. R. (American Sociological ReviewAmerican Sociological ReviewAmerican Sociological Review, 1996)
We examine the racial and ethnic concepts and related actions of very young children in a preschool setting. Breaking with much of the conventional literature on the cognitive development of preschool children, we argue that young children engage in interaction involving clear and often sophisticated understandings of racial and ethnic concepts and meanings. We discuss: (1) how racial and ethnic concepts are used to exclude or include others; (2) how racial or ethnic concepts are used to define oneself and others; (3) how power and control link to racial and ethnic understandings; and (4) how adults misperceive the racial and ethnic language and activities of children.
Vl940 Times Cited:31 Cited References Count:45

Global survey of inclusive early childhood development and early childhood intervention programs - Vargas-Baron, E.; Small, J.; Wertlieb, D.; Hix-Small, H.; Botero, R. G.; Diehl, K.; Vergara, P.; Lynch, P. (RISE Institute, 2019)
Keywords: early childhood development intervention programs

Child mental health, psychosocial wellbeing and resilience in Afghanistan: a review and future directions - P. Ventevogel; M. Jordans; M. Eggerman; B. van Mierlo; C. Panter-Brick (Handbook of Resilience in Children of War, 2014)

Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy for depressed youth in IDP camps in Northern Uganda: adaptation and training - Verdeli, H.; Clougherty, K.; Onyango, G.; Lewandowski, E.; Speelman, L.; Betancourt, T. S.; Neugebauer, R.; Stein, T. R.; Bolton, P. (Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am, 2008)
This article reviews the use of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) with depressed youth living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in North Uganda. This youth has been exposed to severe losses and disruptions in relationships with caregivers, family, and community members; limited access to formal education; exposure to malnutrition and infections; and pressure to prematurely assume adult family roles. The process of adaptation to the content and training of IPT for these youth is presented and illustrated with case examples.
Verdeli, Helen Clougherty, Kathleen Onyango, Grace Lewandowski, Eric Speelman, Liesbeth Betancourt, Teresa S Neugebauer, Richard Stein, Traci R Bolton, Paul eng 2008/06/19 09:00 Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2008 Jul;17(3):605-24, ix. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2008.03.002.
Keywords: *Adaptation, Psychological; *Interpersonal Relations; *Psychotherapy, Group; *Teaching; Adolescent; Depressive Disorder, Major/*psychology/*therapy; Humans; Learning; Play and Playthings; Uganda/ethnology

Peace Building and Conflict Resolution in Preschool Children - Vestal, Anita; Jones, Nancy Aaron (Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 2004)

Association between breastfeeding and intelligence, educational attainment, and income at 30 years of age: a prospective birth cohort study from Brazil - Victora, C. G.; Horta, B. L.; Loret de Mola, C.; Quevedo, L.; Pinheiro, R. T.; Gigante, D. P.; Goncalves, H.; Barros, F. C. (Lancet Glob Health, 2015)
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding has clear short-term benefits, but its long-term consequences on human capital are yet to be established. We aimed to assess whether breastfeeding duration was associated with intelligence quotient (IQ), years of schooling, and income at the age of 30 years, in a setting where no strong social patterning of breastfeeding exists. METHODS: A prospective, population-based birth cohort study of neonates was launched in 1982 in Pelotas, Brazil. Information about breastfeeding was recorded in early childhood. At 30 years of age, we studied the IQ (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3rd version), educational attainment, and income of the participants. For the analyses, we used multiple linear regression with adjustment for ten confounding variables and the G-formula. FINDINGS: From June 4, 2012, to Feb 28, 2013, of the 5914 neonates enrolled, information about IQ and breastfeeding duration was available for 3493 participants. In the crude and adjusted analyses, the durations of total breastfeeding and predominant breastfeeding (breastfeeding as the main form of nutrition with some other foods) were positively associated with IQ, educational attainment, and income. We identified dose-response associations with breastfeeding duration for IQ and educational attainment. In the confounder-adjusted analysis, participants who were breastfed for 12 months or more had higher IQ scores (difference of 3.76 points, 95% CI 2.20-5.33), more years of education (0.91 years, 0.42-1.40), and higher monthly incomes (341.0 Brazilian reals, 93.8-588.3) than did those who were breastfed for less than 1 month. The results of our mediation analysis suggested that IQ was responsible for 72% of the effect on income. INTERPRETATION: Breastfeeding is associated with improved performance in intelligence tests 30 years later, and might have an important effect in real life, by increasing educational attainment and income in adulthood. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust, International Development Research Center (Canada), CNPq, FAPERGS, and the Brazilian Ministry of Health.
Victora, Cesar G Horta, Bernardo Lessa Loret de Mola, Christian Quevedo, Luciana Pinheiro, Ricardo Tavares Gigante, Denise P Goncalves, Helen Barros, Fernando C eng Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2015/03/22 06:00 Lancet Glob Health. 2015 Apr;3(4):e199-205. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(15)70002-1.
Keywords: *Breast Feeding; *Income; *Intelligence; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Brazil; Child Development/physiology; Educational Status; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis

Burundi: Population-based Survey on Peace and Education - Vinck, P.; Pham, P. N.; HarvardHumanitarianInitiative (2015)

Association of exposure to violence and potential traumatic events with self-reported physical and mental health status in the Central African Republic - Vinck, P.; Pham, P. N. (JAMA, 2010)
CONTEXT: For decades, the Central African Republic (CAR) has experienced violence, economic stagnation, and institutional failure. The latest wave of violence erupted in 2001 and continues to this day in some areas. Yet there has been little attention to the conflict and even less research to document and quantify the conflict's human cost. OBJECTIVE: To study levels of violence in CAR, including mortality levels, and the association between exposure to violence and traumatic events with self-reported physical and mental health status. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multistage stratified cluster random survey of 1879 adults 18 years or older in selected households conducted in 5 administrative units of CAR (3 in the south, which has been free from recent violence, and 2 in the north, in which violence continues) between October and December 2009. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality, morbidity, exposure to potential traumatic events, sense of insecurity, and meeting of symptom criteria for depression and anxiety using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 with a cut-off score of 1.75. RESULTS: The crude mortality rate (CMR) was 4.9 deaths (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.6-5.1) per 1000 population per month and self-reported CMR due to violence was 0.8 deaths (95% CI, 0.6-1.0) per 1000 population per month. Thirty-five percent reported their physical health status as being good or very good while 29% described it as bad or very bad. Respondents in northern prefectures reported higher rates of mortality, exposure to trauma, and insecurity and lower levels of physical health and access to health services compared with those in the south. The estimated prevalences of symptoms of depression and anxiety were 55.3% (95% CI, 51.6%-59.0%) and 52.5% (95% CI, 48.1%-56.8%), respectively. Exposure to violence and self-reported physical health were statistically associated with mental health outcomes (P < .001). Anxiety symptom scores were higher for respondents in the northern prefectures than those in the south (t = 2.54, P = .01). CONCLUSION: A high proportion of adult respondents in CAR reported witnessing or having personally experienced traumatic events over the course of the conflicts, and more than half met symptom criteria for depression and anxiety.
Vinck, Patrick Pham, Phuong N eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2010/08/05 06:00 JAMA. 2010 Aug 4;304(5):544-52. doi: 10.1001/jama.2010.1065.
Keywords: *Health Status; *Mental Health; Adult; Anxiety/epidemiology; Central African Republic/epidemiology; Depression/epidemiology; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Mortality/trends; Prevalence; Violence/*psychology; Wounds and Injuries/*psychology

NOW THE KIDS ARE SAFE POPULATION-BASED SURVEY ON PEACE AND EDUCATION IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE - Vinck, P.; Pham, P. N.; Balthazard, M.; HarvardHumanitarianIntiativeandUNICEF (2016)

Now the Kids are Safe: Population-based Survey on Peace and Education in Cote D'Ivoire - Vinck, P.; Pham, P. N.; Balthazard, M.; HarvardHumanitarianIntiativeandUNICEF (2016)

Exposure to war crimes and implications for peace building in northern Uganda - Vinck, P.; Pham, P. N.; Stover, E.; Weinstein, H. M. (JAMA, 2007)
CONTEXT: Since the late 1980s, the Lord's Resistance Army has waged war against the Ugandan People's Democratic Army and the people of northern Uganda. Ending the conflict and achieving peace have proven to be challenges. In this context, it is important to examine population-based data on exposure to war crimes to understand how survivors perceive mechanisms aimed at achieving a lasting peace. OBJECTIVES: To assess the level of exposure to war-related violence and the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms in northern Uganda and to determine how these variables are associated with respondents' views about peace. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multistage, stratified, random cluster survey of 2585 adults aged 18 years or older conducted in villages and camps for internally displaced persons in 4 districts of northern Uganda in April and May 2005. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates and patterns of exposure to trauma; symptom criteria for PTSD, assessed via the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version with a total severity score of 44; symptoms of depression, assessed via the Johns Hopkins Depression Symptom Checklist with a cutoff of 42; and opinions and attitudes about peace. RESULTS: Among the respondents, 1774 of 2389 (74.3%) met PTSD symptom criteria and 1151 of 2585 (44.5%) met depression symptom criteria. Four patterns of exposure to trauma were distinguished: those with low exposure (group 1; 21.4%), witnesses to war-related violence (group 2; 17.8%), those threatened with death and/or physically injured (group 3; 16.4%), and those abducted (group 4; 44.3%). Respondents in groups 3 and 4, who experienced the most traumatic exposures, were more likely to have PTSD symptoms compared with group 1 (group 3 vs group 1: odds ratio [OR], 7.04 [95% confidence interval CI, 5.02-9.87]; group 4 vs group 1: OR, 6.07 [95% CI, 4.77-7.71]). Groups 3 and 4 were also more likely to meet depression symptom criteria (group 3 vs group 1: OR, 5.76 [95% CI, 4.34-7.65]; group 4 vs group 1: OR, 4.00 [95% CI, 3.16-5.06]). Respondents who met the PTSD symptom criteria were more likely to identify violence as a means to achieve peace (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.05-1.65). Respondents who met the depression symptom criteria were less likely to identify nonviolence as a means to achieve peace (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found high prevalence rates for symptoms of PTSD and depression in a conflict zone. Respondents reporting symptoms of PTSD and depression were more likely to favor violent over nonviolent means to end the conflict.
Vinck, Patrick Pham, Phuong N Stover, Eric Weinstein, Harvey M eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2007/08/02 09:00 JAMA. 2007 Aug 1;298(5):543-54. doi: 10.1001/jama.298.5.543.
Keywords: *Attitude; *Warfare; Adult; Combat Disorders/*epidemiology/psychology; Depression/*epidemiology/psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/*epidemiology/psychology; Survivors/*psychology/statistics & numerical data; Uganda; War Crimes/psychology/*statistics & numerical data

Association of exposure to intimate-partner physical violence and potentially traumatic war-related events with mental health in Liberia - Vinck, P.; Pham, P. N. (Soc Sci Med, 2013)
Liberia's wars between 1989 and 2003 resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties and millions of victims. Gender-based violence was widespread during the conflict. Since the end of the war, however, little attention has been paid to ongoing violence against women, especially within the household. This research examines the relationships between intimate-partner physical violence, war experiences, and mental health nearly ten years after the end of the war. The study is based on a nationwide cross-sectional, multistage stratified cluster random survey of 4501 adults using structured interviews during a six-week period in November and December 2010. The main outcome measures are prevalence of intimate-partner physical violence, exposure to potentially traumatic war-related events, symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. Among adult women, 37.7% (95%CI, 34.9-40.5; n = 852/2196) reported lifetime exposure to intimate-partner physical violence and 24.4% (95%CI, 22.1-26.9; n = 544/2196) reported incidence of intimate-partner physical violence over a one-year recall period. Among men, 23.2% (95%CI, 20.8-25.9, n = 475/2094) reported having severely beaten their spouse or partner over their lifetime; the incidence over the one-year recall was 12.2% (95%CI, 10.4-14.2, n = 259/2094). Among adult residents in Liberia, 10.6% (95%CI, 9.5-11.7, n = 546/4496) met the criteria for symptoms of depression, and 12.6% (95% CI, 11.5-13.9, n = 608/4496) met the criteria for symptoms of PTSD. Intimate-partner physical violence as a victim and as a perpetrator was significantly associated with exposure to potentially traumatic war-related events, especially among men. Among women, experiencing intimate-partner physical violence was associated with symptoms of PTSD and depression. Among men, perpetrating intimate-partner physical violence was associated with symptoms of PTSD and depression after adjusting for exposure to potentially traumatic war-related events. These findings suggest that intimate-partner physical violence may be a continued stressor in post-war societies that needs to be recognized and addressed as part of the reconstruction effort.
Vinck, Patrick Pham, Phuong N eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2012/12/12 06:00 Soc Sci Med. 2013 Jan;77:41-9. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.10.026. Epub 2012 Nov 23.
Keywords: *Warfare; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression/*epidemiology; Female; Humans; Liberia/epidemiology; Male; Prevalence; Qualitative Research; Spouse Abuse/*psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/*epidemiology

Resilience in the context of war: A critical analysis of contemporary conceptions and interventions to promote resilience among war-affected children and their surroundings. - Vindevogel, Sofie (Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2017)
Keywords: resilience; War; war-affected children

Association between economic growth and early childhood nutrition--authors' reply - Vollmer, S.; Harttgen, K.; Subramanyam, M. A.; Finlay, J.; Klasen, S.; Subramanian, S. V. (Lancet Glob Health, 2015)
Vollmer, Sebastian Harttgen, Kenneth Subramanyam, Malavika A Finlay, Jocelyn Klasen, Stephan Subramanian, S V eng Comment Letter England 2015/01/27 06:00 Lancet Glob Health. 2015 Feb;3(2):e81. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70380-8.
Keywords: *Body Height; *Body Weight; *Developing Countries; *Economic Development; *Gross Domestic Product; *Income; Child Nutrition Disorders/*economics; Female; Humans; Male

Association between economic growth and early childhood undernutrition: evidence from 121 Demographic and Health Surveys from 36 low-income and middle-income countries - Vollmer, S.; Harttgen, K.; Subramanyam, M. A.; Finlay, J.; Klasen, S.; Subramanian, S. V. (Lancet Glob Health, 2014)
BACKGROUND: Economic growth is widely regarded as a necessary, and often sufficient, condition for the improvement of population health. We aimed to assess whether macroeconomic growth was associated with reductions in early childhood undernutrition in low-income and middle-income countries. METHODS: We analysed data from 121 Demographic and Health Surveys from 36 countries done between Jan 1, 1990, and Dec 31, 2011. The sample consisted of nationally representative cross-sectional surveys of children aged 0-35 months, and the outcome variables were stunting, underweight, and wasting. The main independent variable was per-head gross domestic product (GDP) in constant prices and adjusted for purchasing power parity. We used logistic regression models to estimate the association between changes in per-head GDP and changes in child undernutrition outcomes. Models were adjusted for country fixed effects, survey-year fixed effects, clustering, and demographic and socioeconomic covariates for the child, mother, and household. FINDINGS: Sample sizes were 462,854 for stunting, 485,152 for underweight, and 459,538 for wasting. Overall, 35.6% (95% CI 35.4-35.9) of young children were stunted (ranging from 8.7% [7.6-9.7] in Jordan to 51.1% [49.1-53.1] in Niger), 22.7% (22.5-22.9) were underweight (ranging from 1.8% [1.3-2.3] in Jordan to 41.7% [41.1-42.3] in India), and 12.8% (12.6-12.9) were wasted (ranging from 1.2% [0.6-1.8] in Peru to 28.8% [27.5-30.0] in Burkina Faso). At the country level, no association was seen between average changes in the prevalence of child undernutrition outcomes and average growth of per-head GDP. In models adjusted only for country and survey-year fixed effects, a 5% increase in per-head GDP was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.993 (95% CI 0.989-0.995) for stunting, 0.986 (0.982-0.990) for underweight, and 0.984 (0.981-0.986) for wasting. ORs after adjustment for the full set of covariates were 0.996 (0.993-1.000) for stunting, 0.989 (0.985-0.992) for underweight, and 0.983 (0.979-0.986) for wasting. These findings were consistent across various subsamples and for alternative variable specifications. Notably, no association was seen between per-head GDP and undernutrition in young children from the poorest household wealth quintile. ORs for the poorest wealth quintile were 0.997 (0.990-1.004) for stunting, 0.999 (0.991-1.008) for underweight, and 0.991 (0.978-1.004) for wasting. INTERPRETATION: A quantitatively very small to null association was seen between increases in per-head GDP and reductions in early childhood undernutrition, emphasising the need for direct health investments to improve the nutritional status of children in low-income and middle-income countries. FUNDING: None.
Vollmer, Sebastian Harttgen, Kenneth Subramanyam, Malavika A Finlay, Jocelyn Klasen, Stephan Subramanian, S V eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2014/08/12 06:00 Lancet Glob Health. 2014 Apr;2(4):e225-34. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70025-7. Epub 2014 Mar 27.
Keywords: *Body Height; *Body Weight; *Developing Countries; *Economic Development; *Gross Domestic Product; *Income; Child Nutrition Disorders/*economics/epidemiology/pathology; Child, Preschool; Demography; Female; Growth Disorders/economics/epidemiology; Health Surveys; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Logistic Models; Male; Odds Ratio; Poverty; Prevalence; Thinness/economics/epidemiology; Wasting Syndrome/economics/epidemiology

Association between economic growth and early childhood nutrition--Authors' reply - Vollmer, S.; Harttgen, K.; Subramanyam, M. A.; Finlay, J.; Klasen, S.; Subramanian, S. V. (Lancet Glob Health, 2014)
Vollmer, Sebastian Harttgen, Kenneth Subramanyam, Malavika A Finlay, Jocelyn Klasen, Stephan Subramanian, S V eng Comment Letter England 2014/10/12 06:00 Lancet Glob Health. 2014 Sep;2(9):e501-e502. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70268-2. Epub 2014 Aug 27.
Keywords: *Body Height; *Body Weight; *Developing Countries; *Economic Development; *Gross Domestic Product; *Income; Child Nutrition Disorders/*economics; Female; Humans; Male

Eight years after - a follow-up study of mothers and children at psychosocial risk who received early treatment: does early intervention leave its mark? - Wadsby, Marie; Arvidsson, Elisabeth (Child & Family Social Work, 2010)

Child development: risk factors for adverse outcomes in developing countries - Walker, Susan P; Wachs, Theodore D; Meeks Gardner, Julie; Lozoff, Betsy; Wasserman, Gail A; Pollitt, Ernesto; Carter, Julie A (The Lancet, 2007)

Inequality in early childhood: risk and protective factors for early child development - Walker, S. P.; Wachs, T. D.; Grantham-McGregor, S.; Black, M. M.; Nelson, C. A.; Huffman, S. L.; Baker-Henningham, H.; Chang, S. M.; Hamadani, J. D.; Lozoff, B.; Gardner, J. M.; Powell, C. A.; et al. (Lancet, 2011)
Inequality between and within populations has origins in adverse early experiences. Developmental neuroscience shows how early biological and psychosocial experiences affect brain development. We previously identified inadequate cognitive stimulation, stunting, iodine deficiency, and iron-deficiency anaemia as key risks that prevent millions of young children from attaining their developmental potential. Recent research emphasises the importance of these risks, strengthens the evidence for other risk factors including intrauterine growth restriction, malaria, lead exposure, HIV infection, maternal depression, institutionalisation, and exposure to societal violence, and identifies protective factors such as breastfeeding and maternal education. Evidence on risks resulting from prenatal maternal nutrition, maternal stress, and families affected with HIV is emerging. Interventions are urgently needed to reduce children's risk exposure and to promote development in affected children. Our goal is to provide information to help the setting of priorities for early child development programmes and policies to benefit the world's poorest children and reduce persistent inequalities.
1474-547x Walker, Susan P Wachs, Theodore D Grantham-McGregor, Sally Black, Maureen M Nelson, Charles A Huffman, Sandra L Baker-Henningham, Helen Chang, Susan M Hamadani, Jena D Lozoff, Betsy Gardner, Julie M Meeks Powell, Christine A Rahman, Atif Richter, Linda 080534/Z/06/Z/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Comment England Lancet. 2011 Oct 8;378(9799):1325-38. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60555-2. Epub 2011 Sep 22.
Keywords: *Child Development; Humans

Inequality in early childhood: risk and protective factors for early child development - Walker, S. P.; Wachs, T. D.; Grantham-McGregor, S.; Black, M. M.; Nelson, C. A.; Huffman, S. L.; Baker-Henningham, H.; Chang, S. M.; Hamadani, J. D.; Lozoff, B.; Gardner, J. M.; Powell, C. A.; et al. (Lancet, 2011)
Inequality between and within populations has origins in adverse early experiences. Developmental neuroscience shows how early biological and psychosocial experiences affect brain development. We previously identified inadequate cognitive stimulation, stunting, iodine deficiency, and iron-deficiency anaemia as key risks that prevent millions of young children from attaining their developmental potential. Recent research emphasises the importance of these risks, strengthens the evidence for other risk factors including intrauterine growth restriction, malaria, lead exposure, HIV infection, maternal depression, institutionalisation, and exposure to societal violence, and identifies protective factors such as breastfeeding and maternal education. Evidence on risks resulting from prenatal maternal nutrition, maternal stress, and families affected with HIV is emerging. Interventions are urgently needed to reduce children's risk exposure and to promote development in affected children. Our goal is to provide information to help the setting of priorities for early child development programmes and policies to benefit the world's poorest children and reduce persistent inequalities.
Walker, Susan P Wachs, Theodore D Grantham-McGregor, Sally Black, Maureen M Nelson, Charles A Huffman, Sandra L Baker-Henningham, Helen Chang, Susan M Hamadani, Jena D Lozoff, Betsy Gardner, Julie M Meeks Powell, Christine A Rahman, Atif Richter, Linda eng 080534/Z/06/Z/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom Comment Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2011/09/29 06:00 Lancet. 2011 Oct 8;378(9799):1325-38. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60555-2. Epub 2011 Sep 22.
Keywords: *Child Development; Humans

Early childhood stimulation benefits adult competence and reduces violent behavior - Walker, S. P.; Chang, S. M.; Vera-Hernandez, M.; Grantham-McGregor, S. (Pediatrics, 2011)
OBJECTIVE: An estimated 178 million children younger than 5 years in developing countries experience linear growth retardation and are unlikely to attain their developmental potential. We aimed to evaluate adult benefits from early childhood stimulation and/or nutritional supplementation in growth-retarded children. METHODS: In Kingston, Jamaica, 129 growth-retarded children aged 9 to 24 months took part in a 2-year trial of nutritional supplementation (1 kg milk-based formula per week) and/or psychosocial stimulation (weekly play sessions to improve mother-child interaction). We assessed IQ, educational attainment, and behavior at 22 years old in 105 participants. We used multivariate regressions, weighted to adjust for loss to follow-up, to determine treatment benefits. RESULTS: We found no significant benefits from supplementation. Participants who received stimulation reported less involvement in fights (odds ratio: 0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12-1.06]) and in serious violent behavior (odds ratio: 0.33 [95% CI: 0.11-0.93]) than did participants with no stimulation. They also had higher adult IQ (coefficient: 6.3 [95% CI: 2.2-10.4]), higher educational attainment (achievement, grade level attained, and secondary examinations), better general knowledge, and fewer symptoms of depression and social inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Early psychosocial intervention had wide-ranging benefits in adulthood that are likely to facilitate functioning in everyday life. The reductions in violent behavior are extremely important given the high levels of violence in many developing countries. The study provides critical evidence that early intervention can lead to gains in adult functioning.
1098-4275 Walker, Susan P Chang, Susan M Vera-Hernandez, Marcos Grantham-McGregor, Sally Clinical Trial Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't United States Pediatrics. 2011 May;127(5):849-57. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-2231. Epub 2011 Apr 25.
Keywords: *Achievement; *Dietary Supplements; *Early Intervention (Education); Adult; Age Factors; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Confidence Intervals; Developing Countries; Developmental Disabilities/diagnosis/*rehabilitation; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Growth Disorders/epidemiology/physiopathology/*prevention & control; Humans; Infant; Jamaica; Male; Malnutrition/epidemiology/physiopathology/*prevention & control; Mental Competency; Multivariate Analysis; Odds Ratio; Poverty; Regression Analysis; Risk Assessment; Sex Factors; Time Factors

Effects of early childhood psychosocial stimulation and nutritional supplementation on cognition and education in growth-stunted Jamaican children: prospective cohort study - Walker, S. P.; Chang, S. M.; Powell, C. A.; Grantham-McGregor, S. M. (Lancet, 2005)
Growth retardation affects about a third of children younger than age 5 years in developing countries and is associated with poor development. Previously, we did a trial of nutritional supplementation and psychosocial stimulation in stunted children aged 9-24 months. Non-stunted children were also assessed. Both types of intervention improved development. We now present the effects of early interventions on cognition and education in 103 of the 129 stunted children and compare them with 64 of the 84 non-stunted children now aged 17-18 years. We recorded no significant effects of nutritional supplementation. Compared with no intervention, stimulation resulted in higher full scale IQ scores (coefficient 0.38, 95% CI 0.06-0.71, p=0.02) and higher scores on the verbal subscale (0.37, 0.07-0.68, p=0.02), Peabody picture vocabulary test (7.84, 0.73-14.95, p=0.03), verbal analogies (0.26, 0.03-0.49, p=0.03), and reading tests (4.73, 1.31-8.14, p=0.007, and 2.7, 1.12-4.37, p=0.001). Overall, stunted non-stimulated participants had significantly poorer scores than the non-stunted group on 11 of 12 cognitive and educational tests. Stunting in early childhood is associated with cognitive and educational deficits in late adolescence, which are reduced by stimulation at a young age.
Walker, Susan P Chang, Susan M Powell, Christine A Grantham-McGregor, Sally M eng Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2005/11/22 09:00 Lancet. 2005 Nov 19;366(9499):1804-7. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67574-5.
Keywords: *Achievement; *Cognition; *Nutritional Support; *Social Support; Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Growth Disorders/*therapy; Humans; Infant; Intelligence Tests; Jamaica; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Regression Analysis

Global, regional, and national levels of neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality during 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 - Wang, H.; Liddell, C. A.; Coates, M. M.; Mooney, M. D.; Levitz, C. E.; Schumacher, A. E.; Apfel, H.; Iannarone, M.; Phillips, B.; Lofgren, K. T.; Sandar, L.; Dorrington, R. E.; et al. (Lancet, 2014)
BACKGROUND: Remarkable financial and political efforts have been focused on the reduction of child mortality during the past few decades. Timely measurements of levels and trends in under-5 mortality are important to assess progress towards the Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4) target of reduction of child mortality by two thirds from 1990 to 2015, and to identify models of success. METHODS: We generated updated estimates of child mortality in early neonatal (age 0-6 days), late neonatal (7-28 days), postneonatal (29-364 days), childhood (1-4 years), and under-5 (0-4 years) age groups for 188 countries from 1970 to 2013, with more than 29,000 survey, census, vital registration, and sample registration datapoints. We used Gaussian process regression with adjustments for bias and non-sampling error to synthesise the data for under-5 mortality for each country, and a separate model to estimate mortality for more detailed age groups. We used explanatory mixed effects regression models to assess the association between under-5 mortality and income per person, maternal education, HIV child death rates, secular shifts, and other factors. To quantify the contribution of these different factors and birth numbers to the change in numbers of deaths in under-5 age groups from 1990 to 2013, we used Shapley decomposition. We used estimated rates of change between 2000 and 2013 to construct under-5 mortality rate scenarios out to 2030. FINDINGS: We estimated that 6.3 million (95% UI 6.0-6.6) children under-5 died in 2013, a 64% reduction from 17.6 million (17.1-18.1) in 1970. In 2013, child mortality rates ranged from 152.5 per 1000 livebirths (130.6-177.4) in Guinea-Bissau to 2.3 (1.8-2.9) per 1000 in Singapore. The annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2013 ranged from -6.8% to 0.1%. 99 of 188 countries, including 43 of 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, had faster decreases in child mortality during 2000-13 than during 1990-2000. In 2013, neonatal deaths accounted for 41.6% of under-5 deaths compared with 37.4% in 1990. Compared with 1990, in 2013, rising numbers of births, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, led to 1.4 million more child deaths, and rising income per person and maternal education led to 0.9 million and 2.2 million fewer deaths, respectively. Changes in secular trends led to 4.2 million fewer deaths. Unexplained factors accounted for only -1% of the change in child deaths. In 30 developing countries, decreases since 2000 have been faster than predicted attributable to income, education, and secular shift alone. INTERPRETATION: Only 27 developing countries are expected to achieve MDG 4. Decreases since 2000 in under-5 mortality rates are accelerating in many developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The Millennium Declaration and increased development assistance for health might have been a factor in faster decreases in some developing countries. Without further accelerated progress, many countries in west and central Africa will still have high levels of under-5 mortality in 2030. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US Agency for International Development.
Wang, Haidong Liddell, Chelsea A Coates, Matthew M Mooney, Meghan D Levitz, Carly E Schumacher, Austin E Apfel, Henry Iannarone, Marissa Phillips, Bryan Lofgren, Katherine T Sandar, Logan Dorrington, Rob E Rakovac, Ivo Jacobs, Troy A Liang, Xiaofeng Zhou, Maigeng Zhu, Jun Yang, Gonghuan Wang, Yanping Liu, Shiwei Li, Yichong Ozgoren, Ayse Abbasoglu Abera, Semaw Ferede Abubakar, Ibrahim Achoki, Tom Adelekan, Ademola Ademi, Zanfina Alemu, Zewdie Aderaw Allen, Peter J AlMazroa, Mohammad AbdulAziz Alvarez, Elena Amankwaa, Adansi A Amare, Azmeraw T Ammar, Walid Anwari, Palwasha Cunningham, Solveig Argeseanu Asad, Majed Masoud Assadi, Reza Banerjee, Amitava Basu, Sanjay Bedi, Neeraj Bekele, Tolesa Bell, Michelle L Bhutta, Zulfiqar Blore, Jed D Basara, Berrak Bora Boufous, Soufiane Breitborde, Nicholas Bruce, Nigel G Bui, Linh Ngoc Carapetis, Jonathan R Cardenas, Rosario Carpenter, David O Caso, Valeria Castro, Ruben Estanislao Catala-Lopez, Ferran Cavlin, Alanur Che, Xuan Chiang, Peggy Pei-Chia Chowdhury, Rajiv Christophi, Costas A Chuang, Ting-Wu Cirillo, Massimo da Costa Leite, Iuri Courville, Karen J Dandona, Lalit Dandona, Rakhi Davis, Adrian Dayama, Anand Deribe, Kebede Dharmaratne, Samath D Dherani, Mukesh K Dilmen, Ugur Ding, Eric L Edmond, Karen M Ermakov, Sergei Petrovich Farzadfar, Farshad Fereshtehnejad, Seyed-Mohammad Fijabi, Daniel Obadare Foigt, Nataliya Forouzanfar, Mohammad H Garcia, Ana C Geleijnse, Johanna M Gessner, Bradford D Goginashvili, Ketevan Gona, Philimon Goto, Atsushi Gouda, Hebe N Green, Mark A Greenwell, Karen Fern Gugnani, Harish Chander Gupta, Rahul Hamadeh, Randah Ribhi Hammami, Mouhanad Harb, Hilda L Hay, Simon Hedayati, Mohammad T Hosgood, H Dean Hoy, Damian G Idrisov, Bulat T Islami, Farhad Ismayilova, Samaya Jha, Vivekanand Jiang, Guohong Jonas, Jost B Juel, Knud Kabagambe, Edmond Kato Kazi, Dhruv S Kengne, Andre Pascal Kereselidze, Maia Khader, Yousef Saleh Khalifa, Shams Eldin Ali Hassan Khang, Young-Ho Kim, Daniel Kinfu, Yohannes Kinge, Jonas M Kokubo, Yoshihiro Kosen, Soewarta Defo, Barthelemy Kuate Kumar, G Anil Kumar, Kaushalendra Kumar, Ravi B Lai, Taavi Lan, Qing Larsson, Anders Lee, Jong-Tae Leinsalu, Mall Lim, Stephen S Lipshultz, Steven E Logroscino, Giancarlo Lotufo, Paulo A Lunevicius, Raimundas Lyons, Ronan Anthony Ma, Stefan Mahdi, Abbas Ali Marzan, Melvin Barrientos Mashal, Mohammad Taufiq Mazorodze, Tasara T McGrath, John J Memish, Ziad A Mendoza, Walter Mensah, George A Meretoja, Atte Miller, Ted R Mills, Edward J Mohammad, Karzan Abdulmuhsin Mokdad, Ali H Monasta, Lorenzo Montico, Marcella Moore, Ami R Moschandreas, Joanna Msemburi, William T Mueller, Ulrich O Muszynska, Magdalena M Naghavi, Mohsen Naidoo, Kovin S Narayan, K M Venkat Nejjari, Chakib Ng, Marie de Dieu Ngirabega, Jean Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J Nyakarahuka, Luke Ohkubo, Takayoshi Omer, Saad B Caicedo, Angel J Paternina Pillay-van Wyk, Victoria Pope, Dan Pourmalek, Farshad Prabhakaran, Dorairaj Rahman, Sajjad U R Rana, Saleem M Reilly, Robert Quentin Rojas-Rueda, David Ronfani, Luca Rushton, Lesley Saeedi, Mohammad Yahya Salomon, Joshua A Sampson, Uchechukwu Santos, Itamar S Sawhney, Monika Schmidt, Jurgen C Shakh-Nazarova, Marina She, Jun Sheikhbahaei, Sara Shibuya, Kenji Shin, Hwashin Hyun Shishani, Kawkab Shiue, Ivy Sigfusdottir, Inga Dora Singh, Jasvinder A Skirbekk, Vegard Sliwa, Karen Soshnikov, Sergey S Sposato, Luciano A Stathopoulou, Vasiliki Kalliopi Stroumpoulis, Konstantinos Tabb, Karen M Talongwa, Roberto Tchio Teixeira, Carolina Maria Terkawi, Abdullah Sulieman Thomson, Alan J Thorne-Lyman, Andrew L Toyoshima, Hideaki Dimbuene, Zacharie Tsala Uwaliraye, Parfait Uzun, Selen Begum Vasankari, Tommi J Vasconcelos, Ana Maria Nogales Vlassov, Vasiliy Victorovich Vollset, Stein Emil Waller, Stephen Wan, Xia Weichenthal, Scott Weiderpass, Elisabete Weintraub, Robert G Westerman, Ronny Wilkinson, James D Williams, Hywel C Yang, Yang C Yentur, Gokalp Kadri Yip, Paul Yonemoto, Naohiro Younis, Mustafa Yu, Chuanhua Jin, Kim Yun El Sayed Zaki, Maysaa Zhu, Shankuan Vos, Theo Lopez, Alan D Murray, Christopher J L eng 095066/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom RG/08/014/24067/British Heart Foundation/United Kingdom 201900/Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom MR/L003120/1/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom MR/K023233/1/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom MR/K006525/1/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom Multicenter Study Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2014/05/07 06:00 Lancet. 2014 Sep 13;384(9947):957-79. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60497-9. Epub 2014 May 2.
Keywords: Child Mortality/*trends; Child, Preschool; Global Health/statistics & numerical data/*trends; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality/*trends; Infant, Newborn; Organizational Objectives; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors

COVID-19 CME Resources for Learners (Training for healthcare professionals) - WashingtonUniversitySchoolOfMedicine (Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis, 2020)
Keywords: COVID-19; heathcare; Public Health

COVID-19 and Children in Armed Conflict - WatchList (Watch List on Children in Armed Conflict, 2020)
Keywords: armed conflict; violence against children; violence exposure

“A Credible List”: Recommendations for the Secretary-General’s 2020 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict - WatchList (Watch List on Children in Armed Conflict, 2020)
Keywords: armed conflict; violence against children; violence exposure

Parent training with low-income families: promoting parental engagement through a collaborative approach - C. Webster-Stratton (Handbook of Child Abuse Research and Treatment, 1998)

Preventing conduct problems and improving school readiness: evaluation of the Incredible Years Teacher and Child Training Programs in high-risk schools. - Webster-Stratton, C.; Jamila Reid, M.; Stoolmiller, M. (J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 2008)
BACKGROUND: School readiness, conceptualized as three components including emotional self-regulation, social competence, and family/school involvement, as well as absence of conduct problems play a key role in young children's future interpersonal adjustment and academic success. Unfortunately, exposure to multiple poverty-related risks increases the odds that children will demonstrate increased emotional dysregulation, fewer social skills, less teacher/parent involvement and more conduct problems. Consequently intervention offered to socio-economically disadvantaged populations that includes a social and emotional school curriculum and trains teachers in effective classroom management skills and in promotion of parent-school involvement would seem to be a strategic strategy for improving young children's school readiness, leading to later academic success and prevention of the development of conduct disorders. METHODS: This randomized trial evaluated the Incredible Years (IY) Teacher Classroom Management and Child Social and Emotion curriculum (Dinosaur School) as a universal prevention program for children enrolled in Head Start, kindergarten, or first grade classrooms in schools selected because of high rates of poverty. Trained teachers offered the Dinosaur School curriculum to all their students in bi-weekly lessons throughout the year. They sent home weekly dinosaur homework to encourage parents' involvement. Part of the curriculum involved promotion of lesson objectives through the teachers' continual use of positive classroom management skills focused on building social competence and emotional self-regulation skills as well as decreasing conduct problems. Matched pairs of schools were randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. RESULTS: Results from multi-level models on a total of 153 teachers and 1,768 students are presented. Children and teachers were observed in the classrooms by blinded observers at the beginning and the end of the school year. Results indicated that intervention teachers used more positive classroom management strategies and their students showed more social competence and emotional self-regulation and fewer conduct problems than control teachers and students. Intervention teachers reported more involvement with parents than control teachers. Satisfaction with the program was very high regardless of grade levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide support for the efficacy of this universal preventive curriculum for enhancing school protective factors and reducing child and classroom risk factors faced by socio-economically disadvantaged children.
Keywords: Achievement; Aggression; Child; Conduct Disorder; Education; Female; Humans; Male; Questionnaires; School Health Services; Schools; Social Adjustment; Social Behavior; Socioeconomic Factors; Students; Teaching

Impacts of a prekindergarten program on children's mathematics, language, literacy, executive function, and emotional skills - Weiland, C.; Yoshikawa, H. (Child Dev, 2013)
Publicly funded prekindergarten programs have achieved small-to-large impacts on children's cognitive outcomes. The current study examined the impact of a prekindergarten program that implemented a coaching system and consistent literacy, language, and mathematics curricula on these and other nontargeted, essential components of school readiness, such as executive functioning. Participants included 2,018 four and five-year-old children. Findings indicated that the program had moderate-to-large impacts on children's language, literacy, numeracy and mathematics skills, and small impacts on children's executive functioning and a measure of emotion recognition. Some impacts were considerably larger for some subgroups. For urban public school districts, results inform important programmatic decisions. For policy makers, results confirm that prekindergarten programs can improve educationally vital outcomes for children in meaningful, important ways.
Weiland, Christina Yoshikawa, Hirokazu eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2013/03/29 06:00 Child Dev. 2013 Nov-Dec;84(6):2112-30. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12099. Epub 2013 Mar 27.
Keywords: *Language; *Mathematics; Achievement; Boston; Child Development/*physiology; Child, Preschool; Curriculum; Early Intervention (Education)/methods; Emotions/*physiology; Executive Function/*physiology; Humans; Memory/physiology; Psychomotor Performance/physiology; Reading; Teaching/methods; Vocabulary

The association between 2D:4D ratio and cognitive empathy is contingent on a common polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR rs53576). - Weisman, O.; Pelphrey, K. A.; Leckman, J. F.; Feldman, R.; Lu, Y.; Chong, A.; Chen, Y.; Monakhov, M.; Chew, S. H.; Ebstein, R. P. (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2015)
Both testosterone and oxytocin influence an individual's accuracy in inferring another's feelings and emotions. Fetal testosterone, and the second-to-forth digit ratio (2D:4D) as its proxy, plays a role in social cognitive development, often by attenuating socio-affective skill. Conversely, oxytocin generally facilitates socio-affiliative and empathic cognition and behavior. A common polymorphism in the oxytocin receptor gene, OXTR rs53576, has been repeatedly linked with psychosocial competence, including empathy, with individuals homozygous for the G allele typically characterized by enhanced socio-cognitive skills compared to A allele carriers. We examined the role of oxytocin and testosterone in collectively contributing to individual differences in cognitive empathy as measured by Baron-Cohen's "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" task (RMET). Findings are based on a large cohort of male and female students (N=1463) of Han Chinese ethnicity. In line with existing literature, women outperformed men in the RMET. Men showed significantly lower 2D:4D ratio compared to women, indicating higher exposure to testosterone during the prenatal period. Interestingly, variation in the OXTR gene was found to interact with 2D:4D to predict men's (but not women's) RMET performance. Among men with GG allelic variation, those with low fetal testosterone performed better on the RMET, compared to men with GG and high fetal testosterone, suggesting greater identification of another's emotional state. Taken together, our data lend unique support to the mutual influence of the oxytocin and testosterone systems in shaping core aspect of human social cognition early in development, further suggesting that this effect is gender-specific.
Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Alleles; Anthropometry; Cognition; Empathy; Female; Fingers; Genetic Association Studies; Genotype; Humans; Male; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Receptors, Oxytocin; Sex Characteristics; Social Behavior; Young Adult

Global threat assessment 2019: Working together to end the sexual exploitation of children online - WeProtect (We Protect Global Alliance, 2019)
Keywords: child pornography; child prostitution; child sexual abuse and exploitation; online; violence against children

Children and armed conflict: Interventions for supporting war-affected children - Wessells, Michael G. (Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2017)
Mental health, psychosocial, and peacebuilding supports are badly needed to support war-affected children in diverse countries. To meet the scale of the needs in an accountable manner, it is essential to have a broad vision of systemic supports for populations of war-affected children. This article, which introduces the 2nd Special Issue on Children and Armed Conflict, outlines 3 pillars of systemic supports for war-affected children: comprehensiveness, sustainability, and Do No Harm. It shows how supports should be multileveled, resilience-oriented, multidisciplinary, tailored to fit different subgroups, and attentive to issues of policy and funding. The achievement of sustainability requires additional attention to building on existing supports, adapting to the local culture and context, focusing more on capacity building than on projects, greater power sharing with local actors, embedding supports in local institutions, and strengthening the evidence base regarding sustainability. The Do No Harm principle requires self-critical practice and the prevention and management of unintended harms related to issues such as discrimination, the use of orphanages as the first resort for war orphans and separated children, raised expectations, dependency, and picking open the psychological wounds of war-affected children. With these pillars as a framework, the article ends with a brief overview of the 8 articles that comprise this 2nd Special Issue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Keywords: *Conflict; *Intervention; War

Autonomous and dependent–The dichotomy of birth: A feminist analysis of birth plans in Sweden - Westergren, Agneta; Edin, Kerstin; Walsh, Denis; Christianson, Monica (Midwifery, 2019)

Using the power of mass media to achieve impact at scale: an experiment that worked - Westin, S. (Early Childhood Matters, 2019)
Keywords: early childhood education (ECE); Mass Media; Sesame Street; Sesame Workshop

A multi-site evaluation of Parents Raising Safe Kids Violence Prevention Program - Weymouth, Lindsay Adelman; Howe, Tasha R. (Children and Youth Services Review, 2011)

Accelerating Language-Development through Picture Book Reading - Whitehurst, G. J.; Falco, F. L.; Lonigan, C. J.; Fischel, J. E.; Debaryshe, B. D.; Valdezmenchaca, M. C.; Caulfield, M. (Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology, 1988)
P0266 Times Cited:338 Cited References Count:38

Effectiveness of day treatment with proctor care for young children: A four-year follow-up - Whitemore, Erin; Ford, Monica; Sack, William H. (Journal of Community Psychology, 2003)

Center-Based Early Head Start and Children Exposed to Family Conflict - Whiteside-Mansell, Leanne; Bradley, Robert; McKelvey, Lorraine; Lopez, Maya (Early Education & Development, 2009)

A future for the world's children. WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission - WHO; Lancet (2020)
A WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission, made up of leading child health experts from around the world, has produced a landmark report on child health and well-being, entitled A future for the world’s children? This new report repositions every aspect of child health through the lens of our rapidly changing climate and other existential threats to children; proposes novel solutions; and calls for urgent action. Progress on indicators of child health and well-being is currently stalled across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but can be jump-started with the right focus, leadership, involvement, policies and investment. (See: https://www.who.int/news-room/campaigns/a-future-fit-for-children)
Keywords: child health; climate change; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Operationalizing nurturing care for early childhood development: The role of the health sector alongside other sectors and actors - WHO; UNICEF; WorldBank; ECDAN (WHO, 2019)
Keywords: early childhood development; Health; nurturing care; nurturing care framework

Summary | Improving early childhood development: WHO guideline - WHO (2020)
Summary | WHO Guideline to Improve Early Childhood Development WHO Guideline to Improve Early Childhood Development
Keywords: early childhood development; nurturing care

Global leaders unite to ensure everyone everywhere can access new vaccines, tests and treatments for COVID-19 - WHO (World Health Organization (WHO), 2020)

WHO guideline to improve early childhood development - WHO (World Health Organization (WHO), 2020)
Summary | WHO Guideline to Improve Early Childhood Development WHO Guideline to Improve Early Childhood Development
Keywords: early childhood development; nurturing care

Country & Technical Guidance - Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - WHO (2020)
Keywords: country guidance; COVID-19; technical guidance

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public - WHO (2020)
Keywords: COVID-19; public advice

The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger - Wilkinson, R.; Pickett, K. (Bloomsbury USA, 2011)

Impact of behavioral inhibition and parenting style on internalizing and externalizing problems from early childhood through adolescence. - Williams, Lela Rankin; Degnan, Kathryn A; Perez-Edgar, Koraly E; Henderson, Heather A; Rubin, Kenneth H; Pine, Daniel S; Steinberg, Laurence; Fox, Nathan A (J Abnorm Child Psychol, 2009)
Behavioral inhibition (BI) is characterized by a pattern of extreme social reticence, risk for internalizing behavior problems, and possible protection against externalizing behavior problems. Parenting style may also contribute to these associations between BI and behavior problems (BP). A sample of 113 children was assessed for BI in the laboratory at 14 and 24 months of age, self-report of maternal parenting style at 7 years of age, and maternal report of child internalizing and externalizing BP at 4, 7, and 15 years. Internalizing problems at age 4 were greatest among behaviorally inhibited children who also were exposed to permissive parenting. Furthermore, greater authoritative parenting was associated with less of an increase in internalizing behavior problems over time and greater authoritarian parenting was associated with a steeper decline in externalizing problems. Results highlight the importance of considering child and environmental factors in longitudinal patterns of BP across childhood and adolescence.
Keywords: Adolescent; Authoritarianism; Child; Child Behavior Disorders; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Inhibition (Psychology); Internal-External Control; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Models, Psychological; Parenting; Permissiveness; Personality Assessment; Shyness; Social Environment; Statistics as Topic; Temperament

Transactional sex as a form of child sexual exploitation and abuse in Rwanda: implications for child security and protection - Williams, T. P.; Binagwaho, A.; Betancourt, T. S. (Child Abuse Negl, 2012)
OBJECTIVE: To illuminate the different manifestations of transactional sexual exploitation and abuse among Rwanda's children in order to inform effective responses by policies, programs, and communities. METHOD: Qualitative data was collected during April and May 2010. One-hundred and thirty-nine adults (56% female) and 52 children (60% female) participated in focus groups across three geographic locations in Rwanda. Eleven interviews were held with child protection stakeholders. RESULTS: Interview and focus group participants reported how children, primarily girls, engaged in transactional sex as a survival strategy in response to situations of adversity including economic deprivation, difficulty accessing school, and social pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Policy and programs should work to address the underlying social and economic determinants of transactional sexual exploitation through structural interventions that reduce gender inequalities to accessing school and securing basic needs. Further quantitative and qualitative research to better understand the complexities of this issue is warranted.
Williams, Timothy P Binagwaho, Agnes Betancourt, Theresa S eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2012/04/10 06:00 Child Abuse Negl. 2012 Apr;36(4):354-61. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.11.006. Epub 2012 Apr 6.
Keywords: Adult; Child; Child Abuse, Sexual/*statistics & numerical data; Child Welfare/*statistics & numerical data; Female; Focus Groups; Humans; Male; Poverty; Rwanda/epidemiology; Sex Work/statistics & numerical data; Sexual Harassment/statistics & numerical data; Vulnerable Populations

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis - Wilson, E.O. (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2000)

Exploring Early Childhood Care and Education Levers to Improve Population Health (National Academies Press, 2019)

Evaluation of free to grow: head start partnerships to promote substance-free communities. - Wolfson, Mark; Champion, Heather; Rogers, Todd; Neiberg, Rebecca H; Barker, Dianne C; Talton, Jennifer W; Ip, Edward H; D'Agostino, Ralph B; Parries, Maria T; Easterling, Doug (Eval Rev, 2011)
Free to Grow: Head Start Partnerships to Promote Substance-free Communities (FTG) was a national initiative in which local Head Start (HS) agencies, in partnership with other community organizations, implemented a mix of evidence-based family-strengthening and community-strengthening strategies. The evaluation of FTG used a quasi-experimental design to compare 14 communities that participated in the FTG intervention with 14 matched comparison communities. Telephone surveys were conducted with two cohorts of the primary caregivers of children in HS at baseline and then annually for 2 years. The survey was also administered to repeated cross-sectional samples of primary caregivers of young children who were not enrolled in HS. No consistent evidence was found in changes in family functioning or neighborhood conditions when the 14 FTG sites were compared to 14 matched sites. However, caregivers of young children who were not in HS in three high-implementing FTG sites showed evidence of improvements in neighborhood organization, neighborhood norms against substance abuse, and child disciplinary practices. Results provide highly limited support for the concept that family and neighborhood conditions that are likely to affect child development and well-being can be changed through organized efforts implemented by local HS programs.
Keywords: Consumer Participation; Cooperative Behavior; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data Collection; Early Intervention (Education); Ethnic Groups; Health Promotion; Humans; Multivariate Analysis; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Residence Characteristics; Risk Factors; Social Marketing; Substance-Related Disorders; Time Factors

Spirals of Inequality - WomensBudgetGroup (Women's Budget Group, 2020)
Spirals of Inequality from Women's Budget Group on Vimeo.
Keywords: COVID-19; economic policy; gender inequality

Pathways for peace : inclusive approaches to preventing violent conflict - WorldBankGroup; UnitedNations (World Bank,, 2018)
World Bank Group, United Nations. color illustrations, color maps. Includes bibliographical references. Introduction. Prevention of violent conflict works and is cost-effective ; Why, then, is there so little belief in the prevention of violent conflict? ; What is the prevention of violent conflict? ; Can prevention of violent conflict be done differently? ; The importance of agency to prevention -- A surge and expansion of violent conflict. Violent conflict in the twenty-first century ; Understanding trends in violent conflict ; The unacceptable costs of violent conflict ; How violent conflicts end -- The need for prevention in an interdependent world. An international system in search of a new equilibrium ; Risk and opportunity in an increasingly connected world -- Pathways for peace. A framework for peaceful pathways ; Path dependency of violence ; The centrality of actors ; Understanding risk and opportunity ; Prevention and sustaining peace : building peaceful pathways ; Scenarios for pathways to peace or violence -- Why people fight : inequality, exclusion, and a sense of injustice. Inequality and violent conflict ; The multiple and intersecting dimensions of exclusion ; Exclusion, identity, grievances, and mobilization to violence -- What people fight over : arenas of contestation. Risk and opportunity in the arenas of contestation ; The arena of power and governance ; The arena of land and natural resources ; The arena of service delivery ; The arena of security and justice -- Country approaches to preventing violent conflict. Navigating transition moments ; Changing actors' incentives ; Addressing institutional weaknesses ; Investing in structural factors -- The international architecture for prevention. Systemic prevention ; Regional action ; International tools for prevention ; International development assistance ; Areas of convergence between diplomatic, security, and development instruments -- Pursuing pathways for peace : recommendations for building inclusive approaches for prevention. Principles for prevention ; An agenda for action : prevention in practice ; Organizing for prevention ; A call for action -- Appendix A: Thematic papers and case studies. Print version record.
Keywords: Electronic books.; International cooperation.; International relations.; Peace Economic aspects.; Political violence.; Security, International.; Sustainable development.; United Nations. General Assembly. (2015)

Global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (2016 -2030): 2018 monitoring report - WorldHealthOrganization (World Health Organization, 2018)
Keywords: adolescent's health; children's health; early childhood development; Women's Health

Preventing violence: Evaluation outcomes of parenting programs - WorldHealthOrganization (World Health Organization, 2013)

Nurturing care for early childhood development: A framework for helping children survive and thrive to transform health and human potential - WorldHealthOrganization; UNICEF; WorldBankGroup (World Health Organization, 2018)
Keywords: nurturing care

Care for child development: Improving the care for young children - WorldHealthOrganization (World Health Organization, 2012)
Keywords: child and adolescent health; Maternal; newborn

Compendium of Resources | World Vision Coronavirus Health Crisis - WorldVision (2020)
Keywords: coronavirus; COVID-19; Public Health