Modern Parenting May Hinder Brain Development

Jan. 7, 2013 —

 Social practices and cultural beliefs of modern life are preventing healthy brain and emotional development in children, according to an interdisciplinary body of research presented recently at a symposium at the University of Notre Dame.

 
 Mother breastfeeding her baby. (Credit: © oksun70 / Fotolia)

"Life outcomes for American youth are worsening, especially in comparison to 50 years ago," says Darcia Narvaez, Notre Dame professor of psychology who specializes in moral development in children and how early life experiences can influence brain development.

"Ill-advised practices and beliefs have become commonplace in our culture, such as the use of infant formula, the isolation of infants in their own rooms or the belief that responding too quickly to a fussing baby will 'spoil' it," Narvaez says.

This new research links certain early, nurturing parenting practices -- the kind common in foraging hunter-gatherer societies -- to specific, healthy emotional outcomes in adulthood, and has many experts rethinking some of our modern, cultural child-rearing "norms."

"Breast-feeding infants, responsiveness to crying, almost constant touch and having multiple adult caregivers are some of the nurturing ancestral parenting practices that are shown to positively impact the developing brain, which not only shapes personality, but also helps physical health and moral development," says Narvaez.

Studies show that responding to a baby's needs (not letting a baby "cry it out") has been shown to influence the development of conscience; positive touch affects stress reactivity, impulse control and empathy; free play in nature influences social capacities and aggression; and a set of supportive caregivers (beyond the mother alone) predicts IQ and ego resilience as well as empathy.

The United States has been on a downward trajectory on all of these care characteristics, according to Narvaez. Instead of being held, infants spend much more time in carriers, car seats and strollers than they did in the past. Only about 15 percent of mothers are breast-feeding at all by 12 months, extended families are broken up and free play allowed by parents has decreased dramatically since 1970.

Whether the corollary to these modern practices or the result of other forces, an epidemic of anxiety and depression among all age groups, including young children; rising rates of aggressive behavior and delinquency in young children; and decreasing empathy, the backbone of compassionate, moral behavior, among college students, are shown in research.

According to Narvaez, however, other relatives and teachers also can have a beneficial impact when a child feels safe in their presence. Also, early deficits can be made up later, she says.

"The right brain, which governs much of our self-regulation, creativity and empathy, can grow throughout life. The right brain grows though full-body experience like rough-and-tumble play, dancing or freelance artistic creation. So at any point, a parent can take up a creative activity with a child and they can grow together."

Further information: http://ccf.nd.edu/symposium/2012-symposium-presentations/

Your Teen’s Brain: Driving without the Brakes

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/03/15/your-teens-brain-driving-without-the-brakes/

What was he thinking?

By David Fassler | March 15, 2012 in Scientific American


The next time your teenager behaves inexplicably, remember: his brain is like a car without brakes. The more primitive parts of the brain are well developed, acting like a powerful accelerator encouraging teens to take risks, act on impulse and seek novel experiences. But the areas that control planning and reasoning have not yet matured. As a result, teens are less likely to stop, think things through, modify their behavior or fully consider the consequences of their actions.

On March 20, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases, Jackson v. Hobbs and Miller v. Alabama, concerning teenagers who have committed homicide offenses. The Court will consider whether they should be eligible for sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The medical and mental health community have been following these cases closely, and providing input to the Court on the science of adolescent brain development. The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, among others, have filed amicus briefs emphasizing just how different teen brains are from those of adults.

What we know

In the 1970s, it was widely assumed that brain development was essentially complete by the age of three. Today, we know this is far from the case. The brain continues to mature and develop throughout adolescence and even into early adulthood. The teenage years, in particular, are a very active and important time for brain development.

During adolescence, there is a rapid increase in the interconnections between the brain cells. Gray matter grows, followed by a refinement, or “pruning,” of the connections and pathways. We also see an increase in the white matter, or myelin. The myelin acts as an insulator and enhances communication at the cellular level. It is essential for coordinated thought, action and behavior.

The instinctual parts of the brain develop first followed by the regions that control reasoning and help us think before we act. Specifically, the amygdala, which is a more primitive part of the brain responsible for gut reactions, including fear and aggressive behaviors, develops before more advanced areas like the frontal lobes, which help us control our impulses, emotions and responses.

Research has shown that adolescents actually use their brains differently than adults when attempting to reason, solve problems, or deal with stressful situations. For example, they tend to rely more on these instinctual structures, like the amygdala, and less on the more advanced areas, like the frontal lobes, which are associated with more goal-oriented and rational thinking.

Teenagers are less likely to use the part of the brain that asks “’Is this a good idea? What is the consequence of this action?’ It’s not that they don’t have a frontal lobe. But they’re going to access it more slowly,” Frances Jensen, a pediatric neurologist at Children’s Hospital in Boston, recently explained on National Public Radio.

Author, testifying in Nevada

Research has also identified at least two other areas of the brain that undergo significant growth and development during adolescence. These are the corpus callosum, which connects the two halves, or hemispheres, of the brain, and the cerebellum, which is located at the base of the brain.

The corpus callosum, which creates a pathway from one side of the brain to the other, facilitates problem solving. The cerebellum primarily controls physical coordination and movement, but also helps organize our thought processes. All of these anatomical structures — the amygdala, the frontal lobes, the corpus callosum, and the cerebellum — are physically changing and maturing throughout adolescence.

Based on the stage of their brain development, teenagers are more likely to act on impulse, misread social cues and others’ emotions, get into fights and accidents, or engage in more serious risk-taking behavior, like driving recklessly or while intoxicated. Because adolescents are less likely than adults to think before they act, every state has laws restricting them from activities that require mature judgment, including voting, serving on juries and purchasing alcohol.

In 2005, the Supreme Court cited scientific studies when it struck down the death penalty for people under the age of eighteen. The Justices relied on similar reasoning in 2010 when they abolished sentences of life without parole for juveniles convicted of non-homicide offenses. Hopefully, their consideration of these new cases will once again be informed by the scientific data and our contemporary understanding of adolescent brain development.

About the Author: David Fassler, M.D., is a child and adolescent psychiatrist practicing in Burlington, Vermont. He is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Vermont, and the Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the Vermont Center for Children, Youth & Families.

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

TV Found to Have Negative Impact on Parent-Child Communication and Early Literacy...

Kasting Connections' Perspective:

After reading just the summary, it's just seems common sense that direct interaction versus passive watching would stimulate the cognitive and language skills growth in children, especially when children are in a very important stage of development.

If you take the time to read further, the study focuses on maternal responsiveness, or quality of responses that a mother provides to an infant when they interact. 

     "Mothers who are responsive to their infant's communication promote a positive
     self-perception or the child as well as fostering trust in the parent. Positive responses
     help the child learn that they can affect their environment," said Nathanson. "However,
     if maternal responsiveness is absent, children learn that their environment is
     unpredictable and may become anxious, knowing that their bids for attention or help may
     be ignored."

Mothers gave better quality language skills when reading a book with their child than when watching television.  This finding supports the brain research about quality early language helps develop quality language in the child. 

The other important evidence is to realize that children need to be stimulated, intellectually and emotionally, in order to make gains in their lives.  Education starts at home.

Changing Brains: Effects of Experience on Human Brain Development

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsyeSqrwZ80&feature=relmfu

Helen J Neville, PhD is one of the world's leading experts in brain development and neuroplasticity (how the brain changes with experience).  She is also the Director, Brain Development Lab: Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience; and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Oregon. 

Dr. Neville has put together a DVD for non-scientists which features practical recommendation on scientific evidence for parents, educators, and anyone who cares about helping children learn.  All of the claims made in this dvd is backed by scientific evidence, unlike a lot of claims that bombard our education system.


In the dvd, information is presented on how the brain develops and how experience shapes the brain and it's nine systems that are used in the classroom daily by students:

1. Vision
2. Hearing
3. Motor Skills
4. Attention
5. Language
6. Reading
7. Math
8. Music
9. Emotions and Learning

Best News:  You have free access to this information! Read on!

The You Tube link above or the Changing Brains website will connect you to this 90 minute dvd. You can control how much you want to watch and when.  If you'd like to own your own copy, you can click on the amazon link on the right hand side to purchase for $9.95.

Anyway you chose to take in this information, please do so today!