Abstract: Human capital is an important driving force for economic development. Early infant development is crucial to the improvement of human capital. Using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development I (BSID I) and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Ⅲ (BSID Ⅲ), as well as measures of family environment, we examined rates of developmental delays among 3,991 children aged 0-3 years old and the parenting practice of their caregivers in rural areas of three provinces in China. We used OLS analysis to examine the relationship between parental behavior and developmental delays. Our analysis shows the following results. First, there is a general lack of positive parenting behavior in rural infant and young children. The proportion of parent-child interactions (e.g. storytelling, singing, reading) was less than 40%, and the incidence of negative parenting behaviors (e.g. shouting or roaring or taking away toys while disciplining the child) was more than 40%. Second, whether the mother is the primary caregiver, mother's age, mother's education level and family asset value significantly are significantly correlated with parenting behaviors. Third, rural infants show high rates of developmental delay. 41% of infants in the total sample have cognitive delays, 58% have language delays, 29% have motor delays, and 58% have social emotional delays. These delays are negatively correlated with positive parenting behaviors and positively correlated with negative parenting behaviors. Based on these findings, primary caregivers for infants should adopt positive parenting behaviors and engage in parent-child interaction activities with infants to provide a high-quality parenting environment. Also, policy makers should increase investment in early development for infants in poor rural areas of China.

Key words: rural, early childhood development, interactive parenting practices, parenting environment, parental discipline