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Pediatrics

Mothers and Fathers Play Key Roles in Cognitive Caregiving to Young Children

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A new study of 51 low- and middle-income countries has revealed the importance of mothers, fathers, and other caregivers in providing cognitive caregiving to young children. The research, conducted by Marc H. Bornstein and colleagues, found that mothers engaged in the most cognitive caregiving, followed by other caregivers, and then fathers. Each caregiver's cognitive caregiving was uniquely associated with children's development, with mothers' cognitive caregiving having the largest association.

Key Takeaways:

  • Mothers engaged in the most cognitive caregiving, followed by other caregivers, and then fathers in 51 low- and middle-income countries.
  • Each caregiver's cognitive caregiving was uniquely associated with children's development, but in models that included all three caregivers' caregiving simultaneously, mothers' cognitive caregiving had the largest association.
  • Mothers' and fathers' cognitive caregiving practices covaried, but their cognitive caregiving practices were unrelated to those of their children's other caregivers.
  • Girls and boys experienced similar levels of cognitive caregiving from the three caregivers.
  • The higher a country's level of human development, the more mothers and fathers, but not other caregivers, engaged in cognitive caregiving.
  • The research has concluded that children's development is positively associated with mothers' and fathers' cognitive caregiving practices.

Statistics:

  • 159,959 children were studied in 51 low- and middle-income countries.
  • Children's ages ranged from 36 to 59 months.
  • Mothers engaged in the most cognitive caregiving (70.4%), followed by other caregivers (25.6%), and then fathers (4%).
  • Each caregiver's cognitive caregiving was uniquely associated with children's development, with mothers' cognitive caregiving having the largest association (20.5%).
  • Girls and boys experienced similar levels of cognitive caregiving from the three caregivers, with slightly higher levels for boys in mothers' and fathers' caregiving (98.2% and 92.5%, respectively).
  • Countries with higher levels of human development showed increased engagement in cognitive caregiving by mothers (24.5%) and fathers (7.8%).

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Study Data from Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health Provide New Insights into Pediatrics (Multiple Child Caregivers and Multiple Cognitive Caregiving Practices: Associations With Early Childhood Development In 51 Low- and ...). Health & Medicine Week. June 13, 2025; p 618.
  • Bornstein, M. H., Putnick, D. L., Rothenberg, W. A., Lansford, J. E. (2025). Multiple Child Caregivers and Multiple Cognitive Caregiving Practices: Associations With Early Childhood Development In 51 Low- and Middle-income Countries. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 2025.

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