Publications
The members and affiliates of the Institute for Early Childhood Well-Being are at the forefront of innovative research and practice in the early childhood field. The publications compiled below offer various ideas, theories and methods related to early childhood.
2025
Dr. Erika (Gaby) Cordova Ramos
- Austad K, Cordova-Ramos EG, Fernandez A, Drainoni ML. Lost in translation: advancing intervention adaptation for populations with non-dominant language preference in high diversity settings. Implementation Science Communications. 2025; 6(1): 66.
- Reynolds S, Cordova-Ramos EG, Wolf MF, Kendrick-Allwood SR, et al. Lack of Parental Visitation as a Symptom, Not a Diagnosis: The Impact of Social Drivers of Health in the NICU. Neoreviews. 2025; 26(6): e435–e445.
- McConnell M, Alsager A, Fuchu P, Sriprasad S, Simoncini L, Drainoni ML, Cordova-Ramos EG, et al. CuddleCard: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of providing financial support to low-income mothers of preterm infants on parental caregiving in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). BMC Pediatrics. 2025; 25(1): 383.
- Ho T, Kalluri NS, Cordova-Ramos EG, Fraust-Wylie M, Parker MG. A national survey of NICU parents and neonatologists on 21st Century Cures Act awareness. Journal of Perinatology. 2025; 45(6): 857–858.
- Cordova-Ramos EG, Miller E, Klawetter S. Supplemental Security Income for Low-Birth-Weight Infants—Addressing Gaps in Coverage. JAMA Pediatrics. 2025; 179(6): 598–599.
- Kalluri NS, Cordova-Ramos EG, et al. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mother’s Milk Provision Among Mothers of Preterm Infants. JAMA Network Open. 2025; 8(5): e2510781.
- Guyol GG, Cordova-Ramos EG, Elansary M, Heeren TC, Litt JS, Parker MG. Child, Parent, and Contextual Correlates of School Readiness Among Children With Low Birth Weight. Academic Pediatrics. 2025; 25(6): 102808.
- Kalluri NS, Witt RE, Kubicka Z, Parker MG, Cordova-Ramos EG. Experiences of communication in the neonatal intensive care unit for mothers with a preferred language other than English. Journal of Perinatology. 2025; 45(6): 767–772.
- Austad K, Thai C, Zavatti A, Nguyen N, Bautista-Hurtado D, Kenney P, Lugo N, Lee JH, Lanney H, Xuan Z, Cordova-Ramos EG, Drainoni ML, Jack B. Tools to improve discharge equity: Protocol for the pilot TIDE trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications. 2025; 43: 101419.
- Kalluri NS, Cordova-Ramos EG, Hwang SS, Standish KR, Parker MG. National Trends in Breastfeeding by Gestational Age Category. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2025; 277: 114388.
Dr. Stephanie Curenton
- Sims J, Carleton RA, Coley RL, Curenton SM. Community Bias and Black Child and Maternal Health: Leveraging National Data to Assess Links. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2025; 12.
- Sims J, Carleton RA, Coley RL, Curenton SM. Beyond Direct Exposure: The Vicarious Nature of Racism on Children’s Development. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2025; 12: 124–137.
- Curenton SM, Sims J, Ibekwe-Okafor N, Iruka IU. Centering Equity in the Planning & Implementation of Universal Preschool: Lessons Learned from a County-Wide Program. Early Childhood Education Journal. 2025.
- Sims, J., Ibekwe-Okafor, N., & Curenton, S. M. Initial validation of the family cultural wealth survey: Relation with racial discrimination and well-being for Black families. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2025; 34(1).
- Sims J, Ibekwe-Okafor N, Curenton SM. Corrigendum to “Examining the relationship between discrimination, access to material resources, and black children’s behavioral functioning during COVID-19.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2025; 70: 367.
Dr. Lindsey M. Locks
- Lauer JM, Rani A, Chembe M, Henderson S, Parkerson D, Fink G, Rockers PC, Locks LM. Predictors of Stunting and Pathway Analysis for Linear Growth among Children Aged Two to Three Years after a Trial of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements and Home-Installed Growth Charts in Three Districts in Zambia. The Journal of Nutrition. 2025; 155(2): 542–553.
- Lauer JM, Rani A, Odom AR, Story G, Chembe M, Henderson S, Parkerson D, Fink G, Rockers PC, Sela DA, Locks LM. Markers of environmental enteric dysfunction are associated with poor growth and developmental outcomes among young children in Lusaka, Zambia. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2025; 121(2): 376–386.
- Locks LM, Stewart CP, Hoffman DJ, Duggan CP. A shock to the global nutrition system: why nutrition scientists should challenge the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development and the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2025; 121(5): 951–955.
- Locks LM, Parekh A, Newell K, Dauphinais MR, Cintron C, Maloomian K, et al. The ABCDs of Nutritional Assessment in Infectious Diseases Research. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2025; 231(3): 562–572.
- Narasimhan P, Jeyashree K, Sinha P, Locks LM, et al. Food insecurity in South Indian households with TB during COVID-19 lockdowns and the impact of nutritional interventions: A qualitative study. PLOS Global Public Health. 2025.
Dr. Peter Rockers
- Brady SP, Rockers PC, Evans D, Coetzee L, Lopera-Perez DC, Fink G, et al. Infant EEG power predicts early childhood language and motor skills in a rural South African cohort. Global Pediatrics. 2025; 14: 100298.
- Lauer JM, Odom AR, Rani A, Story G, Chembe M, Henderson S, Parkerson D, Fink G, Rockers PC, Sela DA, Locks LM. Breastfeeding, the Gut Microbiome, and Growth among Infants in Lusaka, Zambia. Journal of Nutrition. 2025; 155(12): 4253–4263.
- Williams-Gant AJ, Weisman K, Amin TG, Ghossainy ME, Soueidan G, Nissel J, … Rockers PC, … Corriveau KH, Richert RA. Working across religions, cultures, settings, and development: Protocol for wave 2 data collection with children and parents by the developing belief network. PLOS ONE. 2025; 20(2): e0330727.
- Galvin M, Coetzee L, Leshabana P, Masebe N, Lebepe S, Moolla A, Tarullo AR, Rockers PC, Evans D. Traditional beliefs and practices surrounding pregnancy loss in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Social Science & Medicine. 2025; 383: 118511.
- Leppänen JM, Pyykkö J, Evans D, Coetzee L, Fink G, Yousafzai AK, Hamer DH, Parkerson D, Rockers PC. Early Emerging Gradients in Children’s Eye Movement Times Across Levels of Household Resources. Developmental Science. 2025; 28(5): e70058.
- WHO Child Mortality Risk Stratification Multi-Country Pooled Cohort Analysis Group (including Rockers PC). Infant-level and child-level predictors of mortality in low-resource settings: the WHO Child Mortality Risk Stratification Multi-Country Pooled Cohort. The Lancet Global Health. 2025; 13(1): e124–e136.
- Kaiser JL, Fiorillo RM, Vian T, Ngoma T, Kuhfeldt KJ, Munro-Kramer ML, Hamer DH, Bwalya M, Sakanga VR, Lori JR, Ahmed Mdluli E, Rockers PC, Biemba G, Scott NA. Qualitative application of the diffusion of innovation theory to maternity waiting homes in rural Zambia. Implementation Science Communications. 2025; 6(1): 18.
- Lauer JM, Rani A, Chembe M, Henderson S, Parkerson D, Fink G, Rockers PC, Locks LM. Predictors of Stunting and Pathway Analysis for Linear Growth among Children Aged Two to Three Years after a Trial of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements and Home-Installed Growth Charts in Three Districts in Zambia. The Journal of Nutrition. 2025; 155(2): 542–553.
- Kaiser JL, Vian T, Ngoma T, Kuhfeldt KJ, Munro-Kramer ML, Hamer DH, Bwalya M, Sakanga VR, Lori JR, Ahmed Mdluli E, Rockers PC, Biemba G, Scott NA. Implementation fidelity of a multisite maternity waiting homes programme in rural Zambia: application of the conceptual framework for implementation fidelity to a complex, hybrid-design study. BMJ Public Health. 2025; 3(1): e001215.
- Hoffman R, Phiri K, Kalande P, Whitehead H, Moses A, Rockers PC, Tseng CH, Talama G, Banda JC, van Oosterhout JJ, Phiri S, Moucheraud C. Preferences for Hypertension Care in Malawi: A Discrete Choice Experiment Among People Living with Hypertension, With and Without HIV. AIDS and Behavior. 2025; 29(1): 246–256.
Dr. Dina C. Castro
Dr. Amanda R. Tarullo
- Galvin M, Coetzee L, Leshabana P, Masebe N, Lebepe S, Moolla A, Tarullo AR, Rockers PC, Evans D. Traditional beliefs and practices surrounding pregnancy loss in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Social Science & Medicine. 2025; 383: 118511.
- Williams-Gant AJ, Weisman K, Amin TG, Ghossainy ME, Soueidan G, Nissel J, … Tarullo AR, … Corriveau KH, Richert RA. Working across religions, cultures, settings, and development: Protocol for wave 2 data collection with children and parents by the developing belief network. PLOS ONE. 2025; 20(2): e0330727.
- Brady SP, Rockers PC, Evans D, Coetzee L, Lopera-Perez DC, Fink G, Tarullo AR. Infant EEG Power Predicts Early Childhood Language and Motor Skills in a Rural South African Cohort. Global Pediatrics. 2025; 100298.
Dr. Yoonsook Ha
2024
Dr. Dina Castro
Dr. Erika (Gaby) Cordova Ramos
- Cordova-Ramos EG, Kerr S, Kalluri NS, Ho T, Austad K, Drainoni ML, et al. Communication Practices for Families With Languages Other Than English in US Neonatal Care Units. Hospital Pediatrics. 2024; 14(9): e385–e390.
- Cordova-Ramos EG, Burke J, Sileo N, McGean M, Torrice V, Mantri S, et al. “We Don’t Want to Screen for the Sake of Screening”: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Social Needs Screening and Referral Intervention in the NICU. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. 2024; 38(3): 271–279.
Dr. Stephanie Curenton
- Chaparro-Moreno LJ, Uanhoro JO, Curenton SM, Justice LM. A 5-year longitudinal study of bilinguals’ vocabulary growth and the role of the prekindergarten home language and literacy environments. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2024.
- Curenton SM, Iruka IU, Sims J, Ibekwe-Okafor N. Introduction to the Supplemental Issue: Advancing developmental science on the impact of racism in the early years. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2024; 69: S1–S5.
- Curenton SM, Escayg KA, Granda C, House S, Bolan T, Sims J, et al. Black families’ social and cultural capital during COVID: Families talk about coping and supports. The Educational Forum. 2024; 88(4): 458–476.
- Cook KDM, Curenton SM, Nazaire O, Babrow D, Haas C, Moran S. Centering Equity in the Planning and Implementation of Universal Pre-Kindergarten. AERA Online Paper Repository. 2024.
- Liu S, Curenton SM, Sims J, Fisher PA. The promotive and protective effects of parents’ perceived changes during the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional well-being among US households with young children. Frontiers in Psychology. 2024; 14: 1270514.
- Iruka IU, Shonkoff JP, Curenton SM. Racism under the skin: Connecting the dots between the threats of structural inequities and the biological embedding of adversity. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2024; 69: s150–s152.
- Dong N, Curenton SM, Bulus M, Ibekwe-Okafor N. Investigating the differential effects of early child care and education in reducing gender and racial academic achievement gaps from kindergarten to 8th grade. Journal of Education. 2024; 204(1): 71–91.
Dr. Yoonsook Ha
Dr. Lindsey M. Locks
- Dhurde VS, Patel AB, Locks LM, Hibberd PL. Anaemia prevalence, its determinants and profile of micronutrient status among rural school adolescent girls aged 14–19 years: a cross-sectional study in Nagpur district, Maharashtra, India. Public Health Nutrition. 2024; 27(1): e248.
- Fink G, Locks LM, Lauer JM, Chembe M, Savanna H, Sikawe D, Bilima-Mtenga T, Parkerson D, Rockers PC. The impact of home-installed growth charts and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) on child growth in Zambia: a four-arm parallel open-label cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Global Health. 2024; 9(8): e015438.
- Locks LM, Bhaise S, Dhurde V, Gugel A, Lauer J, Shah M, Gholgari A, Hibberd PL, Patel A. The prevalence of anemia during pregnancy and its correlates vary by trimester and hemoglobin assessment method in Eastern Maharashtra, India. Maternal & Child Nutrition. 2024; 20(4): e13684.
- Lauer JM, Bhaise S, Dhurde V, Gugel A, Shah M, Hibberd PL, Patel A, Locks LM. Maternal anemia during pregnancy and infant birth outcomes: a prospective cohort study in Eastern Maharashtra, India. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024; 8(11): 104476.
Dr. Peter Rockers
- Musakwa NO, Evans D, Coetzee L, Galvin M, Hamer D, Fink G, et al. Nutritional adequacy in rural Limpopo Province, South Africa: Maternal and child dietary diversity in the context of perinatal HIV exposure. South African Journal of Child Health. 2024; 18(4): 170–176.
- Fink G, Melero-Dominguez M, Chembe M, de Verrisy-Romero D, et al. Feasibility and acceptability of the Problem Management for Moms programme for improving maternal mental health in Zambia: an open-label trial. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2024; 11(12): 965–974.
- Galvin M, Coetzee L, Leshabana P, Masebe N, Lebepe S, Moolla A, et al. Perceptions of HIV and mental illness as “Western” or “Traditional” illnesses: a cross-sectional study from Limpopo Province, South Africa. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2024; 24(1): 404.
- Lauer JM, Pyykkö J, Chembe M, Bilima-Mulenga T, Sikawe D, Chibwe B, et al. Markers of Environmental Enteric Dysfunction Are Associated with Poor Growth and Developmental Outcomes among Young Children in Lusaka, Zambia. The Journal of Pediatrics. 2024.
- Kuhfeldt KJ, Kaiser JL, Morgan AJ, Ngoma T, Hamer DH, Fink G, et al. Motivation, Cues to Action, and Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: A Qualitative Application of the Health Belief Model among Women in Rural Zambia. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2024; 111(5): 1118.
- Tarullo AR, Evans D, Coetzee L, Lopera-Perez DC, Brady SP, et al. Neonatal Physical Growth Predicts Electroencephalography Power in Rural South Africa. Brain Sciences. 2024; 14(6): 552.
- Weisman K, Ghossainy ME, Williams AJ, Payir A, Lesage KA, et al. The development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior: Protocol for Wave 1 data collection with children and parents by the Developing Belief Network. PLOS ONE. 2024; 19(3): e0292755.
- Koya SF, Ganesh S, Selvaraj S, Wirtz VJ, Galea S, Rockers PC. Determinants of private-sector antibiotic consumption in India: findings from a quasi-experimental fixed-effects regression analysis using cross-sectional time-series data 2011–2019. Scientific Reports. 2024; 14(1): 5052.
- Fink G, Chembe M, Henderson S, Rockers PC, Parkerson D. Feasibility of caregiver-administered anthropometric measurements of children under age 5: evidence from Zambia. Population Health Metrics. 2024; 22(1): 2.
- Falgas-Bague I, Melero-Dominguez M, de Verrisy-Romero D, Tembo T, et al. Testing the feasibility, acceptability, and exploring trends on efficacy of the problem management plus for moms: Protocol of a pilot randomized control trial. PLOS ONE. 2024; 19(1): e0287269.
- Fink G, Locks LM, Lauer JM, Chembe M, Henderson S, Sikawe D, et al. The impact of home-installed growth charts and small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) on child growth in Zambia: a four-arm parallel open-label cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Global Health. 2024; 9(8): e015438.
Dr. Amanda Tarullo
- Musakwa NO, Evans D, Coetzee L, Galvin M, Hamer D, Fink G, et al. Nutritional adequacy in rural Limpopo Province, South Africa: Maternal and child dietary diversity in the context of perinatal HIV exposure. South African Journal of Child Health. 2024; 18(4): 170–176.
- Galvin M, Coetzee L, Leshabana P, Masebe N, Lebepe S, Moolla A, et al. Perceptions of HIV and mental illness as “Western” or “Traditional” illnesses: a cross-sectional study from Limpopo Province, South Africa. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2024; 24(1): 404.
- Lopera-Perez DC, Obradović J, Yousafzai AK, Keehn B, Siyal S. Early Family Experiences and Neural Activity in Rural Pakistani Children: The Differential Role of Gender. Developmental Psychobiology. 2024; 66(6): e22534.
- Seamon E, Mattera JA, Keim SA, Leerkes EM, Rennels JL, Kayl AJ, et al. Leveraging machine learning to study how temperament scores predict pre-term birth status. Global Pediatrics. 2024; 9: 100220.
- Tarullo AR, Evans D, Coetzee L, Lopera-Perez DC, Brady SP, et al. Neonatal Physical Growth Predicts Electroencephalography Power in Rural South African Children. Brain Sciences. 2024; 14(6): 552.
- Ewell A, Lopera-Perez K, Kao K, Tuladhar C, Meyer J, Tarullo A. Child biological stress and maternal caregiving style are associated with school readiness. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2024; 67: 13–23.
- Weisman K, Ghossainy ME, Williams AJ, Payir A, Lesage KA, et al. The development and diversity of religious cognition and behavior: Protocol for Wave 1 data collection with children and parents by the Developing Belief Network. PLOS ONE. 2024; 19(3): e0292755.
- Kao K, Almeida CF, Tarullo AR. Show Me How You Feel on Your Face: Preschool Children’s Capacity to Modulate Emotional Expression. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly. 2024; 70(1): 121–146.