The Omama study, undertaken by Dr Michelle Fernandes and the F1000 research group, focused on Roma children living in poor communities in Eastern Slovakia who are subjected to the “triple threat” of poverty, stunting and early developmental delays, with many prevented from achieving their full developmental potential by age five years. The study compared neurodevelopmental outcomes at age two years between Roma children receiving a community-based early child development (ECD) intervention, and age and sex-matched Roma and non-Roma children who did not receive the intervention. Results of the comparison show that the interventions significantly improved the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children at age two years, including their cognitive, language, and motor skills without directly intervening on nutritional and poverty status.
The Roma are Europe’s largest ethnic minority with high rates of neurodisability, malnutrition and poverty reported in preschoolers. The interventions delivered in the study were multi-modal and delivered by trained Roma women (termed Omamas which is Slovak for grandmothers) to Roma children aged three weeks to 24 months. They were delivered in weekly, 1-hour sessions in the child’s home in the presence of the primary caregiver who was trained in the activities and encouraged to continue these during the week. The Omamas received a pre-defined schedule of age-appropriate activities via the INTER-NDA, a mobile-device-based application which included aspects of kangaroo mother care, infant massage, play, reading, music and responsive caregiving.
The assessments showed that where the Omamas intervened, children were 88% less likely to be delayed in their neurodevelopment and demonstrated significantly better cognitive, language, and motor skills, compared to their peers living in the same communities who had not received the same stimulation.
Read the full story on the Department of Paediatrics website.