The Implications On Brain Development.

Neuroscience has come a long way over recent years. There are now copious amounts of readily available information regarding brain development and the implications that can occur from being subjected to negative environments, from as early as prenatal life. To understand how child abuse impacts on the brains development we need to understand the basics of how the brain works.

 

Brain research tells us that during pregnancy a foetus’s brain produces cells called neurons which begin to form axons and dendrites. After birth all of the experiences a child has will have a dramatic effect on a formation process called synapse. Synapses are what connect each of the neurons together. Porter (2007) describes synapses and the pathways they form from one neuron to another as the wiring of the brain. Every experience a child has encourages the neurons within the brain to pass electrochemical signals to each other through the axon to the dendrites. Synapse occurs when the information is communicated successfully from one axon to another through the dendrite (Berk, 2012; Porter, 2007; Thompson, 2008).

 

Developmental neuroscience provides an insight into a broad variety of hazards to avoid to ensure healthy brain development for children. Thompson (2008) states that “many of these are associated with poverty, and most are preventable” (p. 7). These hazards include: malnutrition of the child and of the mother whilst pregnant, inadequate health care, exposure to dangerous chemicals and alcohol, accidents (especially head injuries), neglect, abuse, and chronic stress during the prenatal and early childhood years (Thompson, 2008).When a child is neglected in the early stages of life, development is interrupted and a deficit is formed for that child. Waldergrave & Waldergrave (2009) suggest that this deficit will stay with the child throughout the stages of development.  

 

A balanced and nutritious diet for a pregnant mother is imperative for a foetus’s brain development. The developing brain is in high need of energy to fuel its growth. Proteins, fats, and vitamins such as folic acid and iron are vital nutrients. The foetus can only access these if offered a healthy balanced diet through the mother. A deficiency or poor diet throughout the pregnancy could have damaging effects on a foetus’s brain development. After birth, health and nutrition is still imperative for healthy brain development. A healthy balanced diet ensures the production of chemicals released by the brain to assist with learning and memory (Nutrition and the brain, n.d; Georgieff, 2007). One implication from a poor diet can be cognitive delays such as: a lack of concentration, self-control, problem solving skills, emotional well-being, and attention span. These can all have an impact on a child’s social and emotional needs, resulting from the cognitive delay (Sunderland, 2006).

 

Porter (2007) suggests that children from negative environments generally have high resting heart rates and high levels of stress hormones in their blood, all of which suggest that their experiences will have left their brains in a permanent state of high alert. This high state of alert causes the body produce a stress hormone called cortisol. When children are confronted with a situation where they feel threatened, uncomfortable, fearful and unsafe this can release adrenaline. When adrenaline is released into the body the heart rate is raised, resulting in mood changes and anxiousness thus releasing the hormone cortisol (Sunderland, 2006; Tarullo, Obradovic, & Gunnar, 2009). High levels of cortisol can affect the development of the brain in areas that involve cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and social functioning (Waldergrave & Waldergrave, 2009).

 

Below is a PET (Positron emission tomography) scan of a two brains. Left: a healthy child’s brain, Right: a Romanian Orphan. The brain on the left shows ample areas of the brain with activity levels compared to the brain to the right. When concentrating specifically in the circled areas (the temporal lobes), there are many differentiating activity levels between both of the brains. The left brain shows optimal brain activity due to effective connections that have been made between axons from positive experiences. The right brain how-ever, displays very minimal areas of activity. This is a direct result of extreme deprivation in the early years. The temporal lobes are responsible for many functions. These include auditory perception, memory, speech, emotional responses, verbal and non-verbal communication, and visual perception (Bailey, 2013).

 

 

 

http://www.teamunitedway.org/brain-under-construction-zone

 

 

 

 

 

Below is another picture comparing two three year old children’s brains. The brain on the left is again, a healthy brain that has developed with in a ‘normal’ healthy home. The brain on the right is a brain of a child who has been subjected to extreme neglect. In this photo comparison you can clearly see the size differences between the two with the neglected child’s brain being about 1/3 of the size of the healthy child’s brain.
 

 

 

 

http://www.brainwave.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Wiring-the-Brain-Flyer.pdf

 

By physically seeing the clear differences between healthy brains and neglected brains it is obvious how essential the early years are for the brain. When sections of the brain are inadequately ‘wired up’ or completely absent due to extreme deprivation, abuse and/or neglect the cognitive development of the child will subsequently be damaged (Brainwave Trust, 2013). This research shows how imperative positive learning environments and experiences within early childhood centres are.

Dr Simon Rowley, a trustee of the Brainwave Trust, (2011) states “the more mature brain is less sensitive to experience and less likely to change. It becomes harder for new patterns to develop. We are ‘hard wired’ according to the quality and amount of experience we have in those formative early years” (p. 1). By understanding how the brain works and the importance of making and strengthening positive environments and experiences, it is clearer to see how some adults continuously repeat poor decisions. Even if the decisions result in breaking the law and being sentenced to prison time and time again.

If these early years are so vital, what are some of the interventions that the government has put in place to encourage healthy brain development for children? The next blog will discuss some of the legislation and policies surrounding child abuse and neglect, and also delve into the penalties the government has in place for the people that are held responsible for neglecting and/or abusing children.

 

References:

Bailey, R. (2013). Biology: Temporal lobes. Retrieved from http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/p/temporal-lobes.htm

Berk, L. (2012). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (7th ed). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Brainwave Trust. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.brainwave.org.nz/

Georgieff, M,. K. (2007). Nutrition and the developing brain: Nutrient priorities and measurements 1,2,3. Retrieved from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/85/2/614S.long

Nutrition and the brain. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nutr.html

Porter, P. (2007). Early brain development: What parents and caregivers need to know! Retrieved from http://www.educare.com/brain.htm

Rowley, Dr S. (2011). Brainwave Trust: Wiring the brain. Retrieved from http://www.brainwave.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Wiring-the-Brain-Flyer.pdf

Sunderland, M. (2006). What every parent needs to know. New York, NY: Doring Kindersley Limited.

Tarullo, A., Obradovic, J., & Gunnar M. (2009). Self-Control and the developing brain. Zero to three, 31-37.

Thompson, R. (2008). Connecting neurons, concepts, and people: Brain development and its implications. New Jersey, USA: National Institute for Early Education Research.

United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.teamunitedway.org/brain-under-construction-zone

Waldergrave, C., & Waldergrave, K. (2009). Healthy families, young minds and developing brains: enabling all children to reach their potential. Wellington, New Zealand: Families Commission.