Early Childhood Development

Many researchers have taken time to learn more about how factors in an infant’s life can affect the way they develop and how it can affect their school years and adulthood. The vast majority of our development occurs in the first years of life, so what happens to us as an infant can be an indicator as to what kind of person we will become later on in life. If one experienced infancy being nurtured by loving caregivers who met their needs, researchers can predict that he or she would turn out to be a so-called normal adult who would face less issues concerning mental health. Of course, a big factor that affects many, not only in infancy but throughout life as well is abuse. Abuse will cause negative effects on anyone who has experienced
Researchers have also concluded that an infant’s motor skills can be linked to the progression of one’s communication abilities as well. The attention from caregivers, negative or positive, and nutrition during infancy are huge factors as to how one will develop as well as give insight to what kind of person they will become.
Abuse and Neglect One of the greatest influences of a human’s development is the kind of caregiving that was provided through infancy. Obadina (2013) says, “Early childhood experiences affect the physical composition of the brain, which in turn has an impact on children’s social/emotional development, early learning behaviour, relationships and how they respond to the outside world throughout their lives.” Negative care will cause negative effects in one’s life; likewise, positive care will cause positive effects. Neglectful and abusive parenting styles tend to originate from the caregiver’s childhood or experiences they had while at a young age (Obadina, 2013). For example, if one were to experience sexual abuse as a child from their caregiver, which
Prado and Dewey (2014) said the formation of the brain, laying the foundation for the development of cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional skills throughout childhood and adulthood are all taking place during the course of this time. If there is a nutrition deficiency during this time, it could affect cognition, behavior, and productivity throughout the school years and adulthood (Prado & Dewey, 2014). If a fetus does not receive the recommended amounts of nutrients while in the womb, there could be many health issues. According to Prado and Dewey (2014), “Adequate nutrition is necessary from the beginning, with the formation of the neural plate and neural tube affected by nutrients such as folic acid, copper, and vitamin A.” If the neural plate and neural tube do not develop properly, brain injuries could result since the brain and spinal cord develop from the neural tube. The environment has an effect on the infant also. The way the body strengthens its senses is through practice or experience. One process is known as the “experience-expectant” process that involves the reliance of the brain on specific input for all senses (Prado & Dewey, 2014). For example, for the organs in the ears to develop, the brain will expect auditory input. Without this input, “these expected experiences impairs the neurodevelopmental