Early Childhood Development of Rohingya Children Living in Refugee Camps.

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined early childhood development (ECD) among 36-59-month-old Rohingya children (n = 298) living in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Based on caregiver responses to 10 standard ECD questions, 73.6% of children were developmentally on track overall, although only 39.1% were on track in the literacy-numeracy domain. Compared with Bangladeshi children from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, a slightly higher proportion of Rohingya children (26.4% vs. 25.5%) were developmentally delayed, performing relatively poorly in the physical and learning domains. Multivariable regression analysis indicated that children's older age, greater exposure to stimulation activities, and household internet access were significantly associated with being developmentally on track. Despite limited resources in refugee settings, interventions that expand early learning opportunities and promote positive parenting could meaningfully improve developmental outcomes among displaced children. Future research should include larger, more representative samples to enhance precision and strengthen generalisability.