The Science of Early Adversity

[BridgeTheGap]

For a long time, social science has known of correlations between childhood turmoil and adult maladies that carry massive social and financial costs—mental illness, addiction, tendencies toward violence. And for decades, society has attempted to address those problems with a variety of social interventions including Head Start, which aims to prepare low-income kids between ages 3 and 5 for school; investments in school-age children; and programs for rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents.

But a scientific revolution that has taken place in the past decade suggests that many of the dysfunctions associated with childhood have roots earlier than is commonly understood—especially during the first two years of life.

Like all living creatures, human babies are hardwired with a stress reaction that kicks in whenever they perceive a threat, which can be as simple as hunger or the feeling of a wet diaper. Deep inside the adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys, cells pump out adrenaline—a hormone that makes the lungs breathe and the heart beat faster, increasing the supply of oxygen to the muscles.

With these hormones sloshing around, blood pressure rises, muscles tighten, energy surges, and a baby wails. When comfort comes quickly, the body produces fewer stress hormones and the brain goes back to business as usual. And if this happens repeatedly, as it should, the nerve impulses crackling in the brain will build pathways that the baby can use later in life to solve problems and overcome difficulty.

Read more: http://www.utne.com/mind-body/early-adversity-zm0z12mazwar.aspx#ixzz1qWhLh3Ts

[mzteris]

1. so all that

"let the baby cry it out" crap is . . .

Crap.

It's not just the poverty stricken who ignore their children. There's a whole movement out there in the middle and upper classes.

These absolute IDIOTS who believe the best way to "not spoil a child" is to let them cry and cry and cry - to show 'em "who's boss" - are creating way more problems. And this article seems to support that.

When a baby cries, they need something. Food, Changing, change in temperature (too hot or too cold), human touch, they're lonely, they're afraid, they WANT THEIR MOMMY (or Daddy!)

[BridgeTheGap]

2. Absolutely. Hence, the middle and upper classes get their share of

mental illness and personality disorders that are not genetically derived.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Actually it shows almost the opposite

It shows that the biological mechanisms which lead to coping under mildly stressful conditions can go badly wrong and lead to serious damage if stress is extreme.

Certainly, it is not always the case that 'all is lost' in cases of extreme early hardship, and some children show remarkable recovery. But we are not hardwired to be 'independent'; all the evidence suggests that we are hardwired to form attachments; and generally speaking, those who overcome early adversity best, do so when they get good care and intervention later on - not when they are just left in the bad situation.