First year of brain development
can set child's course for life
June 15, 1996
Web posted at: 12:15 a.m.CHICAGO (CNN) -- Research presented by the Families and Work Institute shows brain development before age 1 is more rapid and extensive than previously thought.
"The evidence is in," said Portia Kennel of Ounce of Prevention. "Scientists have looked at the first years of life, this is the basic building block of time that will determine the success or failure of children later in life."
The brain is more vulnerable to environmental influences and both stressful and enriched environments have long-lasting effects on social behavior and future achievement.
Touch, eye contact and sensory stimulation actually help the brain to grow.
"When children are in environments that are stressful, neglected, violent, that affects formation of the brain, and can have lasting effect," said Ellen Galinsky of the Families and Work Institute.
Experts say this new knowledge has overwhelming cultural ramifications. Children who do not get the attention they need in the first years of life will always be impaired socially and emotionally.
"I don't care what you do, if you take all of your money and dedicate it to treatment you can't build in things that didn't grow in the first five years of life," said Bruce Perry of the Civitas Child Trauma Programs at the Baylor College of Medicine.
Scientists say society is increasingly seeing tragic examples of a poor environmental influences at an early age, and a resulting surge in kid crimes. In many of the cases, young children feel little or no remorse when they commit crimes.
"They have regret they got caught," Perry said. "Regret is an intellectual response, remorse is an effect emotional response; they don't have that."
The irony, scientists say, is that those most important first few years are often given the least attention.
Related site:
Related newsgroup:
FeedbackSend us your comments.Selected responses are posted daily. |
|
![[Imagemap]](/HEALTH/images/9601/navbar.gif){kind=small}
Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
