Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships
Scientific research reveals 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 and interpersonal skills to physical and mental health. More >>
Children's Emotional Development is Built into the Architecture of their Brains
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. A child's capacity to regulate emotions develops in a complex interaction with his or her environment and ongoing cognitive, motor, and social development.
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Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain
Science tells us that experiences early in life may have long-term consequences for a child's learning, behavior, 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—defined 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. More >>
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, fetuses, 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. More >>
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. More >>
Mental Health Problems in Early Childhood Can Impair Learning and Behavior for Life
Significant mental health problems can and do occur in young children. In some cases, these problems can have serious consequences for early learning, social competence, and lifelong health. The foundations of many mental health problems that endure through adulthood are established early in life through the interaction of genetic predispositions and sustained, stress-inducing experiences. More >>
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
The Council is a multi-disciplinary collaboration of scientists and scholars from many universities designed to bring the science of early childhood and early brain development to bear on public policy decision-making. The mission of the Council is to gather, synthesize, and communicate science in support of policies that promote successful learning, adaptive behavior, and sound physical and mental health for all young children. Central to this concept is the ongoing generation, analysis, and integration of knowledge and the critical task of educating policymakers, civic leaders, and the general public about the rapidly growing science of early childhood development and its underlying neurobiology. More >>
Core Concepts in the Science of Early Childhood
This Web-only interactive feature describes the science of early childhood development. Through images and text, it tells the story of how brains are built over time; the interaction of genes and experience; the damage caused by chronic, unrelenting adversity (“toxic stress”); and why early intervention matters. More >>
Child Development Fact Sheet
Child development is a critical foundation for community development and economic development, as capable children become the foundation of a prosperous and sustainable society. This fact sheet outlines a set of core developmental concepts drawn from decades of rigorous research in neuroscience, developmental psychology, and the economics of human capital formation and tested through a rigorous process of debate among the members of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child about what science can tell us about the foundations of learning, behavior, and health. Download PDF >>
New: Using Media with Very Young Children
There are no credible scientific data to support the claim that specialized videos or particular music recordings have a positive, measurable impact on developing brain architecture in the first 2-3 years of life. The most important influence on brain development is what is known as the “serve and return” interaction with caring adults, as defined by back-and-forth interactions with attentive, nurturing humans. Read more >>
