Sociodemographic and nutritional correlates of neurobehavioral development : a study of young children in a rural region of Ecuador

There is limited information on the neurobehavioral profile of young children in rural communities in the Ecuadorian highlands, or the distribution of family characteristics. The EcoSalud Project in the northeastern Andean region of Cayambe-Tabacundo, Ecuador, is a multidisciplinary investigation into the impacts of the cut-flower industry in the region. As a component of the epidemiologic section of EcoSalud, children’s neurobehavioral development was studied. High frequencies of both anemia (60.4%) and stunting (53.4%) were found for the entire study population. Results suggest a high prevalence of developmental delay in this population. More research is needed to identify the causes