Tools to Improve Parental Recognition of Child Development

Günther Fink of Harvard School of Public Health in the U.S. will help parents to assess their child's development, thereby making them more likely to seek necessary treatment. They will test two strategies in a randomized controlled trial involving 600 children from Eastern Zambia. For one group, they will install life-size growth chart posters in selected households along with instructions for use and where to seek help if the child's height is below a critical level. For the other, they will arrange regular community meetings to measure children's heights and offer further advice. They will evaluate their approaches by analyzing parental perceptions and related behavior, along with the effect on child development.