Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2020 Aug;118(4):e384-e391.
doi: 10.5546/aap.2020.eng.e384.

Addressing early childhood development and developmental difficulties in Turkey: a training programfor developmental pediatrics units

[Article in English, Spanish]
Emine B Bingoler Pekcici  1 , Ezgi Özalp Akin  2 , Iclal Ayranci Sucakli  3 , Gizem Kara Elitok  4 , Fatma N Onat  5 , Meltem Kivilcime  6 , Zeynep Ustunyurt  7 , Revan Mustafayev  2 , Ilgi Ozturk Ertem  2
Affiliations
Free article
Multicenter Study

Addressing early childhood development and developmental difficulties in Turkey: a training programfor developmental pediatrics units

[Article in English, Spanish]
Emine B Bingoler Pekcici et al. Arch Argent Pediatr. 2020 Aug.
Free article

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Introduction: Addressing early childhood development (ECD) and developmental difficulties (DDs) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) requires applicable and sustainable programs. Seven years after its implementation in 2010, we evaluated the Developmental Pediatrics Unit (DPU) Training Program in pediatric referral centers in Turkey.

Population and methods: We applied crosssectional design and quantitative/qualitative methods to assess services, training, research and advocacy of the DPUs.

Results: Five of six established DPUs sustained clinical services, training, research, and advocacy. A total of 23,710 children (9085 new cases in 2017) had been referred mainly for perinatal risks and chronic illness, all centers contributed with similar proportions of children. Staff motivation and endurance, hospital administrator support, and client satisfaction facilitated the program; whereas invisibility within the performance based healthcare system was a barrier.

Conclusions: In Turkey and possibly other LMICs, the DPU Training Program is applicable and sustainable if health system barriers are addressed.

Introducción. El abordaje del desarrollo en la primera infancia (DPI) y las dificultades del desarrollo (DD) en los países de ingresos bajos o medios (PIBM) requiere de programas aplicables y sostenibles. Se evaluó el programa de capacitación para las unidades de pediatría del desarrollo (UPD) en los centros de referencia tras siete años. Población y métodos. Diseño transversal con métodos cualicuantitativos para evaluar los servicios, la capacitación, la investigación y la promoción de las UPD. Resultados. Se mantuvieron los servicios clínicos, la capacitación, investigación y promoción. En total, 23 710niños fueron derivados. La motivación y resistencia del personal, el respaldo de los administradores y la satisfacción del paciente facilitaron el programa, aunque la invisibilidad dentro del sistema de salud fue un obstáculo. Conclusiones. En Turquía, y posiblemente otros PIBM, el programa de capacitación para las UPD es aplicable y sostenible si se abordan los obstáculos del sistema de salud.

Keywords: child development; disabled children; low income population.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None

References

    1. World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, World Bank Group. Nurturing care for early childhood development: a frameworkfor helping children survive and thrive to transform health and human potential. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.
    1. Black MM, Walker SP, Fernald LCH, Andersen CT, et al. Early childhood development coming of age: science through the life course. Lancet. 2017; 389(10064):77-90.
    1. Global Research on Developmental Disabilities Collaborators. Developmental disabilities among children younger than 5 years in 195 countries and territories, 19902016: a systematic analysis for the Global B urden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Glob Health. 2018; 6(10):e1100-21.
    1. GBD 2015 Child Mortality Collaborators. Global, regional, national, and selected subnational levels of stillbirths, neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016; 388(10053):1725-74.
    1. Institute of Medicine (US), Committee on Nervous System Disorders in Developing Countries. Neurological, Psychiatric, and Developmental Disorders: Meeting the Challenge in the Developing World. Washington DC: National Academy Press; 2001.

Publication types