Child Neglect Can Have Lifelong Impacts On The Brain

The psychological effects of child neglect can have lasting problems on the brain, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers found changes in white matter of the brain when examining the physical effects of the issue.

Children were recruited for the study at the age of 2, by which time they had already spent half of their lives in institutional care--otherwise known as the standard care for abandoned children in Bucharest, Romania.

The 15-year-long study began at the beginning of the millennium and only ended recently, following 136 children who spent more than half of their lives in institutional care. Follow-up exams were conducted at 30 months, 42 months, 54 months, 8 years, and 12 years of age.

"Results from this study contribute to growing evidence that severe neglect in early life affects the structural integrity of white matter throughout the brain..." the study authors noted, in a news release.

Due to overcrowding and lack of funds, children in state-run orphanages in Romania may have only one adult supervisor for 12 children. Oftentimes, this can result in an ongoing failure to provide the proper care for the children.

Previous studies have shown that for some of the children living in neglect, the connectivity between different parts of their brain has been harmed. In particular, findings revealed that there's lower amounts of measurable gray and white matter volume in the cortex of the brain.

Fortunately, many speculate that early intervention can help assist in regards to long-term remediation of fiber tracts in both the limbic and frontostriatal circuitry and sensory process systems.

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).