Project Lead(s): Vibha Krishnamurthy, Roopa Srinivasan
Child development is approached differently in developed countries than in the developing world. In high income nations standardized instruments are used to monitor children’s development, risk factors are assessed and children are provided with a tailored intervention. In contrast, developmental monitoring in developing countries is uncommon. Interventions, when they exist, are often generic, such as counselling all mothers in providing stimulation.
This project aims to prove that an individualized approach for promoting child development, similar to that used in high-income countries, can be applied with beneficial effect to a health system in a developing nation, where Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide services within an impoverished community. This will be done by implementing the renowned International Guide for Monitoring Child Development (IGMCD) in a community based health program. The research is designed to provide evidence that use of the IGMCD by Community Health Workers (CHWs) in a home visitation program leads to a greater focus on the developmental needs of children and promotes changes at all levels – family, household and community -- to better address the needs of children identified with developmental delay or at risk for developmental difficulties. "