Climate change affects children’s development in different ways and extreme heat is a crucial factor that must be kept in mind. Last year – 2023 – was estimated to be the hottest year on record, ever since temperatures began to be recorded. Heat waves are occurring with greater frequency and lasting for longer periods of time. We are experiencing much higher temperatures than … [Read more...] about Extreme Heat and Its Impact on Early Child Development: How Can We Protect Young Children?
child development
Healthier children, in healthier cities
Among the initiatives of the IDB Cities Lab, a now widely spread documentary has circulated a provocative phrase: "Your zip code affects your health more than your genetic code." But what does that mean? A zip code is a number assigned to identify and locate a given geographical area. The genetic code is the set of information and rules that determine cell reproduction. How can … [Read more...] about Healthier children, in healthier cities
Balancing Scale and Quality: Insights from a Meta-Analysis on Early Childhood Development Programs
Early childhood development (ECD) programs play a crucial role in promoting children’s cognition and language. Many programs include home visitors or groups who work with parents and young children through play activities that not only build children’s language and cognitive skills, but also engage children and parents together to experience the joy of playing and learning … [Read more...] about Balancing Scale and Quality: Insights from a Meta-Analysis on Early Childhood Development Programs
10 Postcards of a Long Journey in Building the Regional Agenda for Early Childhood Development (Part II)
In the first part of this overview of the Bank supported operations for the design, implementation and evaluation of early childhood services, we explored 5 standout experiences from the numerous efforts that our team have made to improve early childhood development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We now complete this collection with 5 more outstanding cases. Building … [Read more...] about 10 Postcards of a Long Journey in Building the Regional Agenda for Early Childhood Development (Part II)
The tender hour: skin-to-skin contact provides the best start to life
Imagine arriving at an unknown place, a strange planet, alone, with no familiar voice and no one to guide you. At that critical moment, your survival would be at stake. But this is how a baby’s life begins outside the mother's womb. The newborn experiences an unknown external world for the first time, and that’s why his or her basic need for skin-to-skin contact with the mother … [Read more...] about The tender hour: skin-to-skin contact provides the best start to life