The long reach of early childhood
Early experiences and brain development affect a child's senses and abilities. A large body of research points to the fact that what happens in the prenatal period and in the first few years of human development set trajectories for lifelong health, learning and behaviour.
Health
Scientists have determined that a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, as part of the limbic hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis, plays a key role in physical health. Brain circuitry and the LHPA axis, which are established early in life, are implicated in adult health and disease. Studies indicate that negative experiences and early environments are implicated in numerous later health problems, including cardiovascular problems, drug and alcohol abuse, coronary health disease, hypertension, Type II diabetes and mental illness.
Learning
There is much evidence that the effects of early experiences on the brain influence later learning. There is also evidence that the quality of early experiences, including the types of nutrition and stimulation a child receives impact upon literacy later in life. Language exposure in very early life has a significant effect on later verbal skills. After this point, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between these different sounds, making the acquisition of new phonemes-and entire languages-all the more challenging.
Behaviour
Early brain development also influences later behaviour. Research has linked poor early enviroments with later abnormal brain development (small brain, low metabolic activity, abnormal EEG), social and cognitive problems (IQ loss) and high vulnerability to behavioural problems (ADHD, aggression, quasi-autism).
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