Predicting child developmental outcomes from family environmental factors: Findings from the Bayley-4 Project

The home environment during early childhood is considered to have a fundamental impact on child developmental outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to understand how well developmental outcomes can be predicted from a linear combination of four family environmental factors. This was done using data from the Pearson Clinical Australia and New Zealand managed Bayley-4 Project. Data were available for 50 infants and toddlers, and their parents. Cognitive, language, and motor development in children were measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, fourth edition. The frequency of shared reading and screen time duration was measured with items on the Family Care Indicators survey. The parent’s level of parental bonding was measured using the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale. Furthermore, parental depressive symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Using multiple linear regression analyses, it was found that the overall regression models for cognitive, expressive language, fine motor, and gross motor developmental outcomes were not significantly predicted by the combination of family factors. Although the independent predictors significantly accounted for 26% of the variation in child receptive language, this relationship was no longer significant following sensitivity analysis. However, the direct relationship between parental depressive symptoms and optimal receptive language remained significant. These findings indicate that parental depressive symptoms may not be a potential risk factor for young child development. Future research ought to further examine the relationship between family factors and young child developmental outcomes, to assess the level of risk or protection