Author contributions
MP
INTERACTIONS
ZQS and AG conceptualized the study and led the design as the primary author, analyzed data, and led the write-up. ST developed the data collection materials with inputs from ZQS, AG, and PH. PH and MNK oversaw the study, data analysis, and interpretation, and drafted the manuscript. PK and MP trained and supervised the data collection team. ST and AG oversaw the quality assurance. MP administrated the project work. SG, PK, PH, DS, and SC assisted with the write-up and participated in the study design, data analysis, and interpretation. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version. All authors critically reviewed drafts of the manuscript.We thank the Grand Challenges Canada team for generous funding and time-to-time support through online sessions and orientation programs. We are grateful to all the mothers and their families from the 110 villages of Wardha and Nagpur districts of rural India who consented to be interviewed and gave their valuable time. It would not have been possible to conduct this study without them. We thank the Village Authorities and Gram Panchayat members for cooperating in conducting baseline surveys, intervention delivery, and assessments. We also acknowledge the cooperation and support of the Child Development Programme Officers of Wardha and Nagpur districts and the Anganwadi workers. We acknowledge the efforts of Dr. Sylvia Fernandez, Scientist, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad (India), for participation in the Induction Training of the Baseline Survey team and adaptation of different developmental tools to the local context. We are thankful to Frances Glascoe, Professor of Pediatrics (Adjunct), Vanderbilt University, for orientation about and for permitting us to use the PEDS-DM Tool in our context. We thank Muneera A. Rasheed and Aisha K. Yousafzai from Pakistan for sharing and helping us with the Observation of Mother–Child Interactions (OMCI) tool. We also thank all the study staff, the data collection research team, ECD facilitators, and community volunteers.