Malnutrition remains an important public health problem in early childhood and may adversely affect developmental outcomes even in the absence of severe clinical symptoms. In this study, we evaluated the developmental status of underweight children within the nurturing care framework and examined its relationship with early learning opportunities and sociodemographic factors. Children aged 12–72 months presenting with poor weight gain were included. The study group consisted of 53 children with weight-for-age below −2 standard deviation scores (SDS) according to World Health Organization growth standards, while the control group included age- and sex-matched 35 healthy children with weight-for-age between 0 and +1 SDS. Developmental assessment was performed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), and the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS). Socioeconomic status was assessed using the Hollingshead–Redlich Scale. A significant difference in socioeconomic level was observed between the groups (p<0.01). According to ASQ results, fine motor developmental delay was significantly more frequent in underweight children (p<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that low weight-for-age was the only independent predictor of fine motor delay (aOR=7.75, p=0.01). Behavioral concerns reported by parents were also more frequent in the study group (p=0.01), and low weight-for-age (aOR=13.1, p=0.01) and daily playtime with caregivers of less than one hour (aOR=4.43, p=0.04) were identified as factors associated with these concerns. These findings suggest that developmental risks in underweight children should not be overlooked, regardless of the presence of chronic malnutrition, and highlight the importance of integrating developmental monitoring and nurturing care components into the follow-up of these children.

Keywords: child development, malnutrition, developmental delay, nurturing care, parental concerns