Brain Growth Stunted by Institutional Care

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research underlines family structure as an important factor affecting a child's brain development. Institutionalized care has been shown to negatively impact visual memory and attention, learning and impulse control later in life, even after a child is adopted.

Researchers at three U.S. universities examined 132 8- and 9-year-ods who were adopted from institutions or foster care in Asia, Latin America, Russia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Children adopted out of foster care had spent no more than two months in institutions.

After comparing the adopted children to American children raised in their birth families, researchers found while kids from foster care didn't differ on brain development tests from children raised in their birth families, those from institutional care performed worse than those raised in families on certain tests measuring brain development.

Authors conclude that the impact of early deprivation on brain development -- like that found in institutionalized care -- is difficult to reverse completely.

"We identified basic learning processes that are affected by early institutionalization," lead study author Seth Pollak, professor of psychology and pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, was quoted as saying. "Policies that speed the time in which children can be removed from institutionalized care so they can develop within family contexts should be implemented to decrease the likelihood of learning problems later in children's lives."

Source: Child Development, January/February 2010

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