Before birth and early in life, the developing brain is acutely sensitive to its environment. A symposium at the Fifth Annual Aspen Brain Forum, hosted by the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City, explored how certain social and psychological aspects of environment influence biology and behavior.
Tracy L. Bale, of the University of Pennsylvania, noted that maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia in offspring, but questions of timing remain unresolved.
Animal research can give insights, she said; rodents perceive, process, and react to stress similarly to humans.
In the mouse, very early pregnancy—equivalent to the human first trimester—appears to be a sensitive period for gender-specific effects of maternal stress. Adult male, but not female offspring respond abnormally to stress, and are 10 percent smaller than normal. They pass these characteristics on to their own offspring, suggesting that prenatal stress has altered cells that will develop into sperm.
Dr. Catherine Monk of Columbia University describes how a developing child in utero can respond and even adapt to environmental stimuli in ways that can affect his mental and physical health in years to come.
Harvard University:
Science tells us that the interactions between genes and environment shape human development. Despite the misconception that genes are “set in stone,” research shows that early experiences can determine how genes are turned on and off — and even whether some are expressed at all. The healthy development of all organs, including the brain, depends on how much and when certain genes are activated to do certain tasks.
The experiences that children have early in life, therefore, play a crucial role in the development of brain architecture. Ensuring that children have appropriate, growth-promoting early experiences is an investment in their ability to become healthy, productive members of society.
Adverse Early Experiences Can Have Lifelong Consequences
Epigenetic “markers” control where and how much protein is made by a gene, effectively turning the gene “on” or “off.” Such epigenetic modification typically occurs in cells that comprise organ systems, thereby influencing how these structures develop and function. Therefore, experiences that change the epigenome early in life, when the specialized cells of organs such as the brain, heart, or kidneys are first developing, can have a powerful impact on physical and mental health for a lifetime.
American Psychological Association (APA)
The brain begins to mature even before birth. Although it continues to mature throughout most of life, the brain does not mature at the same rate in each individual.
This should not be surprising. After all, our bodies grow at different rates — we reach puberty at different ages and our emotional maturity at different times as well. Why should our brains be any different?
Just because you have a classroom full of students who are about the same age doesn’t mean they are equally ready to learn a particular topic, concept, skill, or idea. It is important for teachers and parents to understand that maturation of the brain influences learning readiness. For teachers, this is especially important when designing lessons and selecting which strategies to use.
