Biomaterial Database

Developmental aspects of child care. 1991

S A Dilks

Division of Developmental Pediatrics, Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

As increasing numbers of women have entered the labor force, increasing numbers of children, particularly infants and toddlers, have become active participants in child care. Research and opinion regarding the effect of child care on infant emotional and social development is conflicting. Most infants in child care are securely attached to their parents; however, there is an increased risk of insecure attachment in infants in child care when compared to infants in home care. Participation in child care has been associated with both positive and negative outcomes in relation to social development. High-quality child care is associated with improved child outcome. The quality of child care can be assessed by characteristics such as low child-to-staff ratio, small group size, and training of child care providers. Families are in need of a greater variety of options to meet goals of economic stability and child rearing. It is the role of the pediatrician to monitor child well-being, to objectively advise parents as consumers of child care, and to encourage the availability of high-quality care to all children.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D010372	Pediatrics	A medical specialty concerned with maintaining health and providing medical care to children from birth to adolescence.
D010819	Physician's Role	The expected function of a member of the medical profession.	Physicians' Role,Physician Role,Physician's Roles,Physicians Role,Physicians' Roles,Role, Physician's,Role, Physicians',Roles, Physician's,Roles, Physicians'
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002654	Child Care	Care of CHILDREN in the home or in an institution.	Puericulture,Child Day Care,Day Care, Child,Care, Child
D002657	Child Development	The continuous sequential physiological and psychological maturing of an individual from birth up to but not including ADOLESCENCE.	Infant Development,Development, Child,Development, Infant
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.