Differential effects of factors influencing cognitive development at the age of 5-to-6 years

This study aims to determine whether early predictors of cognitive development affect some cognitive functions more than others. Children (N = 1129) from the EDEN mother-child cohort were assessed at the age of 5-to-6 years using verbal and nonverbal cognitive tests. We used structural equation modeling to simultaneously examine the effects of a broad range of predictors on each cognitive dimension and to test to what extent each predictor differentially affected these dimensions. Effects of family stimulation, breastfeeding duration and number of older siblings were more strongly related to verbal than nonverbal cognitive measure. Our findings provide robust evidence that some modifiable aspects of the early environment are associated with children’s cognitive development and may be more strongly associated with their verbal than nonverbal skills.