BACKGROUND
BRAIN
A 2017 Lancet series on early childhood development estimated that around 250 million children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at risk of developmental delaysSome of the most common risk factors of child developmental delays are associated with poverty.Brain development occurs more rapidly during the first 2 years of life through the interaction of multiple biological and psychosocial stimuli.In recent years, multiple studies have been conducted to explore the efficacy of different ECD programs in LMICs, including Pakistan.The gap in the unmet potential for child development globally has recently been attributed to the failure to scale up the ECD interventions using a multisector approach.The Non-Communicable Diseases-Maternal Health Strategic Plan of the Punjab Department of Health has recognized ECD integration into the maternal and child health (MCH) services currently provided at primary public health care facilities as a provincial priority.This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the integrated ECD care package in reducing the prevalence of global developmental delays among children aged 24 months old as compared to the routine care provided at public health care facilities.