the loss of a loved one, abuse, and divorce,
can make changes in brain structure that
increase a child’s risk for anxiety or depression
later on, according to a new study.
Scientists followed nearly 500 mothers and
their sons from pregnancy until the boys
reached adulthood. The mothers answered
questions about 37 types of adversity their
children faced at home before age 6. The
mothers also reported symptoms of anxiety
or depression their sons developed by the
time they were 7, 10, and 13. Brain scans
performed on the boys between 18 and 21
suggest that facing more forms of hardship
early in life is associated with lower
volume in parts of the brain involved in
emotion, decision making, empathy,
and self-awareness, reports Reuters
.com. “Research suggests that the
experiences early in life really matter,
especially before the age of 5,” said
Duke University child development
researcher Jamie Hanson.
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