The type of daycare a toddler attends with his or her children's backpack at the ready could affect how they behave later in life, according to new research.

According to a study from the US, carried out at the University of California, those who attended better-quality nurseries and playschools were more likely to have better behaviour patterns at age ten.

Conversely, children who attended poorly-organised groups and spent regular hours there showed an increased likelihood of answering back, acting up in school and other negative patterns.

Professor Deborah Lowe Vandell, who led the study, said: "This evidence of long-term effects of early child care quality is noteworthy."

Last month, child development expert Professor Amanda Kirby told the BBC that more work needs to be done to investigate whether the amount of omega-3 children take in could positively affect their behaviour.

Posted by Michael Stevenson

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