title: [Attachment and child development in a residential institution in Kinshasa].
abstract: Attachment proves the child's need for a presence as well as physical and psychological protection. It contributes to the development of social and emotional skills. However, the relation between attachment, cognitive development, and physical development remains to be established.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of the quality of attachment on the cognitive and physical development of children placed in institutions for abandoned children in Kinshasa through a first study of this kind in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four participants, aged 4-7 years, 42 abandoned children placed in residential institutions and 42 children living in families. The evaluation focused on the quality of attachment, cognitive performance, and physical development of these children.
  
  
  METHODS
  attachment story completion task (ASCT), Raven's colored progressive matrices (CPM) and growth vision. The Student t-test was used to compare the children's quality of attachment, cognitive performance, and physical development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the ASCT, secure attachment was more frequently found among children living in families (66.7%) than in institutions (33.3%). The CPM showed obtained a higher mean value (19.3) for children living in a family than for children living in institutions (13.3). Moreover, for children with secure attachment, the mean CPM value and height-for-age ratio were, respectively, 83.7% in family situations and 73.1% in institutions. The mean values for children with insecure attachment were lower than for those with secure attachment in families (80.7%) and institutions (70.9%). However, despite the quality of attachment, the mean values obtained in families were higher than those obtained in institutions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the child's development, both cognitive and physical, depends on the quality of attachment. Life in the family gives better potentialities than life in an institution regardless of the quality of attachment.
authors.affiliation: École doctorale santé et société, SSS/IRSS, clos Chapelle-aux-champs, université catholique de Louvain, 30, boîte B1.30.16, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique. Electronic address: mbiyaflorence@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mbiya Muadi
authors.affiliation: Psychiatrie, université de Kinshasa, cliniques universitaires de Kinshasa, Kinshasa, République Démocratique du Congo.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mampunza
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie infanto-juvénile, université catholique de Louvain, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, avenue Hippocrate 10, bte 2030, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Symann
authors.affiliation: Institut de recherche expérimentale et clinique (IREC), pôle d'épidémiologie et biostatistique (EPID), clos Chapelle-aux-champs, faculté de santé publique (FSP), université catholique de Louvain, 30, boîte B1.30.16, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Habimana
authors.affiliation: Institut de recherche santé & société (IRSS), clos Chapelle-aux-champs, faculté de santé publique (FSP), université catholique de Louvain, 30, boîte B1.30.16, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: D'Hoore
authors.affiliation: Faculté de santé publique (FSP), université catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malengreau
authors.affiliation: Pédiatrie générale, nutrition pédiatrique, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.affiliation: Institut de recherche santé & société (IRSS), clos Chapelle-aux-champs, faculté de santé publique (FSP), université catholique de Louvain, 30, boîte B1.30.16, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aujoulat
authors.affiliation: Service de psychiatrie infanto-juvénile, université catholique de Louvain, cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, avenue Hippocrate 10, bte 2030, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Charlier-Mikolajczak
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002670:Child, Abandoned / Q000523:psychology*; D002674:Child, Institutionalized / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D003906:Developing Countries; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019372:Orphanages; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011386:Projective Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D012016:Reference Values