Research and policy
Research: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
1 Oct 2009
1. Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships
New research shows the critical impact of a child's "environment of relationships" on developing brain architecture during the first months and years of life. We have long known that interactions with parents, caregivers, and other adults are important in a child's life, but new evidence shows that these relationships actually shape brain circuits and lay the foundation for later developmental outcomes, from academic performance to mental health and interpersonal skills. However, many of our nation's policies, such as parental leave, childcare, welfare work requirements, and child protection services fail to take into account the crucial importance of this environment of relationships and its impact on child well-being. This report summarises the most current and reliable scientific research on the impact of relationships on all aspects of a child's development, and identifies ways to strengthen policies that affect those relationships in the early childhood years.
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2. Children's Emotional Development is Built into the Architecture of their Brain
A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that emotional development begins early in life and is closely connected with the emergence of cognitive, language and social skills. Early emotional development lays the foundation for later academic performance, mental health, and the capacity to form successful relationships. Despite this knowledge, most policies related to early childhood focus exclusively on cognitive development as it relates to school readiness, neglecting the importance of such capacities as the ability to regulate one's own emotions and behaviour and to manage successful interactions with other people. As a result, many of our nation's policies, such as those that regulate childcare provider training, availability of early childhood mental health services, and early identification and treatment of behavioural disorders, overlook emotional development as a focus of evaluation and intervention. This report presents an overview of the scientific research on how a child's capacity to regulate emotions develops in a complex interaction with his or her environment and ongoing cognitive, motor, and social development. It then discusses the implications of this research for policies affecting young children, their caregivers, and service providers.
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3. Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain
New research suggests that exceptionally stressful experiences early in life may have long-term consequences for a child's learning, behaviour, and both physical and mental health. Some types of “positive stress” in a child's life, overcoming the challenges and frustrations of learning a new, difficult task, for instance, can be beneficial. Severe, uncontrollable, chronic adversity, what this report defines as "toxic stress", on the other hand, can produce detrimental effects on developing brain architecture as well as on the chemical and physiological systems that help an individual adapt to stressful events. This has implications for many policy issues, including family and medical leave, childcare quality and availability, mental health services, and family support programs. This report explains how significant adversity early in life can alter, in a lasting way, a child's capacity to learn and to adapt to stressful situations, how sensitive and responsive care-giving can buffer the effects of such stress, and how policies could be shaped to minimise the disruptive impacts of toxic stress on young children.
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4. Early Exposure to Toxic Substances Damages Brain Architecture
New science shows that exposure to toxins prenatally or early in life can have a devastating and lifelong effect on the developing architecture of the brain. Exposures to many chemicals have much more severe consequences for embryos, foetuses, and young children, whose brains are still developing, than for adults. Substances that can have a truly poisonous effect on the brain, known as neurotoxins, can be found in environmental chemicals such as lead and mercury, in recreational drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine, and in prescription medications, such as some acne treatments. Most neurotoxin exposure is preventable. This report summarises the complex scientific research on which toxins present the greatest risk at various stages of brain development, addresses popular misconceptions about the relative risk and safety of some common substances, and suggests policies that can help reduce the enormous human and economic costs of exposure to toxins during development.
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5. The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture
The foundations of brain architecture are established early in life through a continuous series of dynamic interactions in which environmental conditions and personal experiences have a significant impact on how genetic predispositions are expressed. Because specific experiences affect specific brain circuits during specific developmental stages, referred to as “sensitive periods”, it is vitally important to take advantage of these early opportunities in the developmental building process. The quality of a child’s early environment and the availability of appropriate experiences at the right stages of development are crucial in determining the strength or weakness of the brain’s architecture, which, in turn, determines how well he or she will be able to think and to regulate emotions. This report summarises in clear language the most recent scientific advances in understanding the importance of sensitive periods on brain development, and the implications of those findings for policy.
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