Katus, Laura and Lloyd-Foc, Sarah (2025) Broadening the lens: how 25 years of prospective longitudinal studies have reshaped infant neurodevelopment in the Majority World. Infant Behavior and Development. ISSN 0163-6383 (Print), 1879-0453 (Online) (In Press)

PDF (Author's Accepted Manuscript) 50944 KATUS_Broadening_The_Lens_How_25_Years_Of_Prospective_Longitudinal_Studies_Have_Reshaped_Infant_Neurodevelopment_(AAM)_2025.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (953kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Since the turn of the 21st century, advances in longitudinal research have underscored the critical importance of investing in early childhood development. Longitudinal neuroimaging, in particular, offers a powerful means of capturing within-person changes in infant brain development over time, rather than relying solely on age-based normative comparisons. Yet despite this progress, longitudinal infant neuroimaging studies, especially in Majority World contexts, remain the exception rather than the norm. As a result, opportunities to intervene during the first 1,000 days, a crucial window for neurodevelopment, are often missed. Building on foundational work in Jamaica and Romania, recent studies in The Gambia, India, Brazil, South Africa and Bangladesh have begun to establish scalable, longitudinal metrics of neurodevelopmental change that can be implemented across diverse study sites. These approaches hold promise not only for integration into large, representative cohort studies, but potentially into standard healthcare practice, laying the groundwork for identifying infants who may benefit most from early intervention, particularly given that many neuroimaging biomarkers emerge before 12 months of age. There have also been promising advances in interventions targeting both psychosocial and biological sources of early adversity to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes for at-risk infants. Looking ahead, the full integration of neural markers into intervention studies across Majority World contexts will be essential to ensuring that all children, regardless of geography, have the opportunity to thrive.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	infant neuroimaging, longitudinal studies, early childhood development, majority World, Neurodevelopmental interventions
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > R Medicine (General) R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	26 Aug 2025 13:18
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/50944

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads