The early advantage: How antenatal care shapes cognitive development in India: Evidence from Young Lives, India.

ABSTRACT: It is universally accepted that early-life conditions significantly influence cognitive development in children; however longitudinal research from low- and middle-income countries remains limited. Antenatal care (ANC) as a critical early health-system contact, has the potential to reduce developmental disparities by promoting fetal brain development and improving pregnancy outcomes. Using data from the Young Lives study, this research examines developmental trajectories of 1,918 children, tracked from age 1-15 in India. Baseline maternal ANC data were collected when the child was one year old, while cognitive outcomes, measured through the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and Mathematics test scores, were assessed at ages 5, 8, 12, and 15. Multivariable regression models were used t

SUBMITTER: Adsul N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12654890 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature