ancient knowledge
all know that parents care for their children in different ways. We know many, many years ago that the type of care a baby and a child receives can affect the rest of his life.
For example, we all know that a baby or a child who is neglected or abused can have their personal growth, physical, mental and emotional ability damaged for life.
But there is new research being presented at the conference
New research in animals
New research in animals show that without the early attention of a loving caregiver, many more brain cells a baby die.
While the developing brain naturally produces cells, brain cells in animals who did not care or care of a loving caregiver, died two times faster than in those animals receiving better care with their mothers.
"What we found shocked us deeply," said psychologist Mark Smith Research Laboratory in Washington Du Pont Merck, Delaware, who analyzes the effects of maternal deprivation in laboratory animals.
The effects of maternal deprivation may be much more serious than we thought, said, "is that this has implications for humans?. Frankly, I hope not but I suspect yes. "
In research on animals, "the presence of mothers ensures that stress hormones remain at a very low level" said Michael Meaney Research Center Douglas Hospital in Montreal.
permanent brain pathways
"For too long has been known that the experiences at an early age can affect the brain and behavior," said Ron de Kloet, an expert on stress and the endocrine system at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. "Only recently have we been able to go into the brain and see what actually occurs during training experienced at an early age. "
Researchers say that neglect can influence the development of brain pathways in brain development. This means that a lot of love and loving care will have the effect of allowing a group of pathways connecting brain cells and the neglect and abuse of a baby or toddler will another entirely different group of permanent connecting roads or links connection between brain cells.
Research Romanian orphans
Much of this new research was done in Romanian orphans who were raised in government institutions. We studied children who were not raised within the framework of normal family activities and carefully.
Children who have the highest rates cortisol levels were also lower on tests of mental and motor skills. The abnormal rates of cortisol can cause changes in the hippocampus, a structure in the brain that produce learning and memory or memories. "Our findings support clinical research showing that children reared in institutions grow slowly and have a developmental delay of their behavior," said Carlson.
