Better social skills from childcare
Children who attend early childhood education have better social outcomes than their peers who stay at home, but are more likely to get sick, a study has found.
The study was conducted by AUT and the University of Auckland, using data for the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study.
It examined parental reports of ECE attendance, child behaviour and illness of more than 6000 children born between 2009 and 2010, at age 9 months, 2 years and 41⁄ years. The information was also
2 linked to hospital records.
Undertaken before extra health and hygiene measures in the Covid-19 era, the study found children who attend ECE have fewer emotional difficulties and better peer relations.
Wellington parent Amanda Knight first attended Playcentre when her oldest son, Jack, was 11⁄ and his younger
2 brother, Henry, is now also attending.
She told Stuff the main thing Henry got out of the system was social interaction, not only with his peers but with a variety of adults because Playcentre is a parent-led form of ECE.
Her older son, Jack, has autism and Knight said going to Playcentre helped him feel more conformable with a variety of adults, which helped him settle into school.
In terms of illness, she said her children did not get sick more often than she had expected for their age.
While children did share illnesses around, she said, the centre had good hygiene practices and was normally able to contain anything that sprang up.
Dr Sarah Gerritsen, co-author and research fellow at Auckland University, said ECE did increase the children’s risk of some common infections.
This included twice the risk of ear and chest infections for 9-month-olds, and 11⁄
2 times the risk of gastro infections (stomach bugs) compared with those being looked after at home.
Two-year olds have more than twice the risk of ear infections and just under twice the risk of chest infections.
Their risk of stomach bugs was also higher than for those who were looked after at home.
Infants who attended centres and 2-year-olds who went to ECE for more than 30 hours a week had an increased risk of hospitalisation due to infections.
‘‘There is evidence that infections in early childhood can provide immunity against illnesses later on,’’ Gerritsen said.
But some infections were more serious. One in eight children in ECE in the study had been admitted to hospital with a chest, ear or gastro infection.
The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development’s children and families research fund.