A professor at Arizona State University and a national lecturer on infant learning
and cognition, Dr. Jill Stamm is also president of New Directions Institute in Arizona.
Her organization collects the latest neuroscientific research on brain development in
infants up to age three. Her goal is to educate new parents and caregivers about the
long-lasting importance of healthy, early brain development in young children.
Genes, environment, caregiving, and nourishment all play very important roles in
brain development. New technologies such as PET scans and functional MRI have allowed us
to watch the brain functioning in real time and to look at which areas of the brain are
activated by specific kinds of stimulation and influences.
This new research attributes about 50 percent of a baby's unique brain function to
nature, or genetics, and 50 percent to nurture, or the physical and emotional environment
to which that baby is exposed.
When considering the nurture component, we have found that there are windows of
opportunity for brain development from zero to three that you can't necessarily make up
for later. The brain doesn't develop the way your feet grow: gradually, in regular
increments from year to year. The brain reaches 90 percent of its full adult size,
capacity, and wiring by age three.
We now know that how a child is touched, nurtured, and spoken to in those early years
makes a dramatic difference in how he or she functions later on in life. Violent,
stressful, highly hostile environments have been shown to have a direct impact on the
biological functioning of that child. Neurologists can actually pinpoint exactly which
areas of the brain have been impacted because these areas do not develop normally. Such
trauma can cause hyperactivity, compulsivity, and aggressive behavior. In later life,
these children are far less able to either modulate their emotions or process information
normally. The truth is that science is finally validating what our common sense has long
told us.
At New Directions Institute, we are trying to reach parents while their children are
still infants. Our first project works with teenage mothers. We train volunteers in the
latest research on brain development. Then we match our volunteers with a teen mom who is
at risk simply because she's young. The mother's only requirements for the program are
that she stays in school and, by self-report, is substance-free. We match her with a
mentor for one year.
The focus is specifically on the intellectual development of the child, getting the
mother to realize the power she has to impact her baby's brain development; teaching her
some straightforward techniques that will help her child develop a kind of emotional
intelligence and attachment.
Most developmental interventions have concentrated on the child. Programs like Head
Start are wonderful for the children who participate. But my belief is that it is a far
wiser use of our resources to educate the caregivers.
The public is only slowly learning about the new brain research and the importance of
development from zero to three. Jim Hunt, the Democratic governor of North Carolina, is a
leader on this subject. Three years ago, advocates for a program called Smart Start
approached Hunt and convinced him of the importance of early development. Smart Start
advocates translated this information, which is well-known in the medical community, into
practical terms. State legislators were shown slides of PET scans, for instance, comparing
the brain of an abused child with that of a nurtured child. The visible differences are
compelling. Their bottom line: you can pay now or pay later. The first year, North
Carolina allocated $12 million; by last year, it was up to $256 million. This kind of
commitment to these first years of life is an intelligent investment in the future.
