About 182 mn children in poor nations lack nurture; pollution, climate change risk factors: Study

NEW DELHI: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), three-fourths of those aged three or four years lack — nearly 182 million children — access to adequate nurture, thereby risking healthy development, according to a new series paper, published in The Lancet journal.

Child development is also affected by air pollution, climate change, and exposure to chemicals, which are emerging environmental risk factors, said an international team, including researchers from the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC), New Delhi.

The series builds on the foundation of the first 1,000 days of life — referring to the time period starting conception until two years old — and highlights how the ‘next 1,000 days’ (from age two to age five) is a crucial window of opportunity for providing nurturing care to children, the researchers said.

Source: PTI News

Digitalmitra