Early childhood development and intervention in a majority world context: A multi-disciplinary perspective

Volume editor

Berna Gerber

Volume editor

Marlette Burger

Volume editor

Sylnita Swartz-Filies

Volume editor

Evette van Niekerk

Synopsis

Focusing on the realities of early childhood development in South Africa and other resource-constrained settings, Early childhood development and intervention in a majority world context: A multi-disciplinary perspective brings together interdisciplinary scholarship that responds to the urgent need for locally grounded evidence and contextually relevant interventions. As the third volume in the Human Functioning, Technology and Health Book Series, the book presents contributions from researchers across the health, education and social sciences, offering new insights into the complex factors shaping the well-being and development of young children and their families.

The volume examines the realities influencing child development in the early years, including poverty, prenatal exposure to harmful substances, HIV, unequal access to services and broader social and cultural influences on health and education. Across a wide range of themes — from maternal mental health, nutrition and feeding, to language development, hearing, play, motor development and education — the contributors demonstrate how context-sensitive interventions can improve developmental outcomes and advance equitable access to care and support.

A distinctive strength of this volume lies in its Afrocentric and evidence-based approach. Much of the existing literature on early childhood development originates in resource-rich, minority-world settings, whereas this collection foregrounds research conducted largely in the Western Cape province and other South African contexts. By documenting the lived realities of local populations, including children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, premature infants and children living with HIV, the book expands current knowledge while addressing gaps rarely explored in previous scholarship.

The volume also highlights innovative service-delivery models and community-based interventions designed to overcome barriers to health and educational services. In doing so, it provides valuable insights for scholars, clinicians, researchers, practitioners, policymakers and postgraduate students seeking to strengthen early childhood development systems and promote socially responsive, contextually relevant child development practices. Rich in interdisciplinary insight and grounded in local realities, this book makes an important contribution to the growing body of research aimed at improving developmental outcomes for vulnerable children in South Africa and beyond.

Chapters

Chapter 1
Social support in early intervention: Its role in postnatal mothers with admitted infants

Michelle du Plessis, Anusha Lachman, Juané Voges
Chapter 2
Nutrition and nurture in early childhood development

Lisanne du Plessis, Lynette Daniels, Evette van Niekerk
Chapter 3
Advancing school readiness for children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries

Tracey Smythe, Bolajoko Olusanya
Chapter 4
Playground impact on motor skill development in preschool children in a low-resourced area

Janke van der Walt, Nicola Plastow, Marianne Unger, Arifa Sheik Ismail
Chapter 5
A framework for the co-development of preschool teacher training through the World Café

Monique de Wit, Sylnita Swartz-Filies, Darelle van Greunen, Nicola Plastow
Chapter 6
Leveraging occupational therapy in early childhood development: Achieving population impact

Lizahn Cloete, Liezl Worship
Chapter 7
Predictive validity of HINE versus GMA with MOS-R on motor outcomes in high-risk infants at 12–15 months

Emma Jansen van Rensburg, Marianne Unger, Jeanetta van Zyl, Jacomina du Preez, Marlette Burger
Chapter 8
Feeding difficulties and neurodevelopment in children with HIV at a Western Cape hospital

Alida de Beer, Faeza Bardien
Chapter 9
A decade of childhood hearing loss at a public hospital in the Western Cape: A retrospective study

Jeannette Birkenstock, Vikki-Lynn van Zyl, Nabeelah Slamang, Amanda Mbasa, Gouwa Dawood
Chapter 10
Vocabulary size of young Afrikaans-speaking children: Influence of known risk factors across socio-economic status

Michelle White, Helena Kruger, Nina Brink, Frenette Southwood
Chapter 11
Single-leg standing balance in foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: An observational study

Yolandi Brink, Quinette Louw, John Cockcroft
Chapter 12
At-risk primary caregivers’ perspectives on the importance of play

Lizahn Cloete, Kelly Lynch, Zusange Shweni
Conclusion

Berna Gerber, Marlette Burger, Evette van Niekerk, Sylnita Swartz-Filies