Chitral

Early childhood development, especially the first 1000 days of life, is crucial for a childs future health and brain development. Responsive caregiving during this early period helps build trust, social and cognitive growth, and a sense of security. This research evaluates the impact and adaptation of a newborn parenting education program in primary health care settings in Pakistan and Afghanistan to support responsive caregiving where such initiatives are limited. The study compares two groups one receiving only a self-study pictorial module and another receiving a 6-month intervention with one session at birth plus five monthly sessions and self-study handouts. The program is based on well-established nurturing care and caregiving frameworks and will be adapted from tertiary to primary care settings. Health care providers will be trained and assessed for knowledge and skills, and system readiness for national scale-up will be explored. Participants will be followed until the infant reaches 6 months, with assessments at baseline and study completion. Researchers will measure quality of life, parenting confidence, responsive interactions, and early child development through validated scales. Data will be collected at birth and at 6 months to evaluate the programs impact. The study aims to build evidence for wider implementation and advocate for responsive caregiving support at the national level.