Early maternal separation and development of left-behind children under 3 years of age in rural China

Abstract A cross-sectional study was conducted in five counties of five provinces in China to investigate the effects of age at separation and duration of maternal separation on the early development of left-behind children. We enrolled 493 children under 3 years of age who were left behind by both parents in rural China. Data on demographics, separation status, and children’s early development conditions were collected by trained local health workers. Children’s early development conditions were evaluated using the Chinese version of Age and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-C) and the Chinese version of Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social–emotional (ASQ:SE-C). The prevalences of total suspected development and social–emotional delays of left-behind children under 3 years old in our study were 31.4% and 38.1%, respectively. Being left behind before 6 months old was associated with an elevated risk of delays in social–emotional development (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.10–2.83), communication (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1. 08–3.70), and fine motor skills (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.10–3.95). A 1-month increase in the duration of separation was associated with a 4% higher risk of social–emotional development delay (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1. 00–1.08) and 8% higher risk of fine motor delay (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1. 02–1.14). Children who experienced earlier maternal separation are at a disadvantage in terms of development. Effective interventions should be applied to help reduce early maternal separation and improve children’s early development in rural regions of China.