Half a dollar can improve a child's intelligence
The early brain development of a child will enrich his adult life, but only 15 countries have the basic policies needed to achieve this. 85 million do not receive needed care.
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| Child's intelligence |
Half dollar per head. That is, less than 50 euro cents or less than it costs a loaf of bread. That amount can make the difference between a person doing better or worse when
childhood, with the development of his brain in its first thousand days of life. If you invest time and resources in that baby, the greater will have better prospects of life. But if in those early years you are not stimulated enough, your future will be conditioned.
Unicef presented this Thursday in the framework of the UN General Assembly, in New York, Early childhood matters for every child. It is a report made with the support of the H & M Foundation that reveals that some 85 million children under five years of
age live in countries
where the policies necessary for the optimal development of their infancy do not exist. Inadequate nutrition, diseases, difficulties in access to pre-school education and unhealthy environments have led to delays in the growth of some 155 million children of that age.
age live in countries
where the policies necessary for the optimal development of their infancy do not exist. Inadequate nutrition, diseases, difficulties in access to pre-school education and unhealthy environments have led to delays in the growth of some 155 million children of that age.
"The report refers mainly to the first two years of life, which are the most important and the most abandoned.It is when the brain makes the neural connections faster and is when it is more necessary that environment that promotes their proper development, which is what will give you the opportunity to reach your maximum potential, "explains Lorena Cobas, Unicef Emergency Committee head of the Spanish Committee.
Those first two years - including nine months of pregnancy - constitute a critical stage in a person's life. After birth, a baby's brain continues to develop, it generates cells and initiates the process of defining and connecting them, which will improve their social, emotional and cognitive development. these connections occur at a rate of at least 1,000 per second. However, recent research from Harvard University indicates that the speed could be up to one million per second.
The difference, according to another study quoted by Unicef, can be seen in the economic gains: a child from a poor family who has been well attended in his early childhood has played and been educated since childhood, will gain from adult to 25 % more than one that has not been. And the fate of these generations will depend on the economic and social growth of a country. "If we do not invest now in the most vulnerable children and families, we will continue perpetuating intergenerational cycles of disadvantage and inequality. Life after life, opportunity lost after missed opportunity, we are widening the gap between those who have and those who do not while weakening our strength and long-term stability, "said Anthony Lake, Unicef's chief executive officer.
For UNICEF, the fundamental basis for early brain development of children consists of three policies: two years of free preschool education, breastfeeding allowances paid to mothers during the first six months of life and adequate paid parental leave. How can you do this with half a dollar a head? "It's a calculation: if a state allocated an adequate budget to implement early development policies, on average that amount would be spent for each child," says Cobas. "It is not that each child costs half a dollar. It is the resultant means of dividing what costs an appropriate policy among the number of children in the country."
In fact, the report underscores that investing in the early development of a child reports significant economic gains for the future of his country. "Every dollar invested in breastfeeding support programs yields $ 35, and every dollar invested in early childhood care and education for the most disadvantaged can generate benefits of up to $ 17, "says the report. Cobas, for his part, recalls that another reason why the return on investment is very important: "The child with a proper early development will have fewer illnesses, therefore, will cause less social spending on medicines and healthcare."
However, governments around the world spend on average less than 2% of their education budgets in primary care programs for children and only 15 countries worldwide have these policies recommended by Unicef. Another 32 have none and are not necessarily poor, see the case of the United States and Australia. In another 64, an average of one in four children do not participate in activities essential for their brain development such as playing, reading or singing.
Is it an irreversible delay? "The adults are still making neural connections, not so fast, but we can continue learning, what happens is that if you lose the opportunity when you are more prepared for it, then it will be more complicated," says Cobas.
To remedy this situation, Unicef proposes in its study four measures that would help improve the expectations of children: First, invest and increase early childhood development services in the family home, school and health centers, especially for the most vulnerable children. Also, it is a national priority to implement the three social policies mentioned: free preschool education, paid parental and maternity leave, and breastfeeding breaks. In addition, give time and resources to parents so they can encourage the development of their young children: to sing, talk, read ... Pay attention. Finally, Unicef proposes to collect and share existing data on early childhood development in order to keep track of the most vulnerable children and families.
"We ask that the four measures, which are not exclusive to the countries of the South, be applied, but to all the children around the world," Cobas abounds. Among them, Spain, which is not included neither in the 15 that comply with all the policies nor in the 32 that do not fulfill any. "In Spain, the recommended six months of maternity leave is not yet fulfilled, for example," recalls the expert.