Factors affecting Childbearing and Development in Developing Countries

Abstract

Children are cited as the future pillars of any nation. The early childhood years of an individual are the foundations for their entire lifetime. Child development researchers and neurologists point out that the early years of a child significantly impacts on the human brain formation and health outcomes all through their lifetime. Therefore, childbearing and child development are central factors in human development and health outcomes. Child development is multidimensional based on cognitive, physical-motor, social, and emotional pathways. The pathways are interdependent of each other hence adversity in one pathway has the potential to collectively affect the other pathways leading to detrimental child development. Early childhood is a very crucial period in human development as it is characterized by rapid cognitive, physical and socio-emotional domains which are the building blocks of future growth and development. Nonetheless, despite child development is central to human development, over 200 million children aged below five years in the global south (developing) countries fail to reach the optimal developmental potential. Therefore, this paper aimed to discuss the implications of social, historical, cultural, political, and economic factors on early childhood development in developing nations.