1. How do you think perceptual deprivation would impact infant development? 2. Do you think the information addressed in the report applies to the U. S.? Is so, how? If not, why? Answer these question
Society for Research in Child Development Office for Policy and Communications 750 First St., NE • Washington, DC 20002-4242 OFFICE: (202) 336-5926 • FAX: (202) 336-6184 PRESS RELEASE Child Development (May/June issue) EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON MAY 17, 2006 (12:01 AM) Contact Information: Andrea Browning Society for Research in Child Development Office for Policy and Communications (202) 336-5926 [email protected] Length of Deprivation in Infants Affects Intellectual Development for Years Following the fall of the Ceauşescu regime in Romania, the world became aware of the dreadful plight of children who had been raised in profound deprivation in institutions. In response, many American and European families adopted these children. When these children left their institutions, most were severely malnourished and severely physically and psychologically delayed. Now a new study published in the May/ June issue of the journal Child Development finds that despite having spent at least seven-and-a-half years in their adoptive homes and having had six years of schooling, th e early experiences of profound institutional deprivation continue to exert marked advers e effects on the children’s IQ even at age 11.The researchers, from King’s College and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, New York University and the University of Rochester Medical Center, have followed these children since adoption. Ear lier studies found the children showed a remarkable degree of developmental catch-up by age 4 or 6, although a minority of children had persisting deficits.
This study was designed to show if this “ catch-up” could be maintained at age 11.
The researchers identified four particularly striking findings:
• There were no detectable effects on IQ when the deprivation ended before 6 months. This implies that even with profound deprivation, r ecovery is possible if confined to this infancy period. • For any period of deprivation in ages 6 thr ough 42 months, the children had an IQ deficit of about 15 points. This finding suggests that the deprivation caused some type of change in the brain known as “developmental pr ogramming.” This occurs when the body (including the brain) adapts to certain expe riences that occur during a sensitive growth period when key physical developmental cha nges are also occurring. Given that this affect did not occur in children under six mont hs, it appears that while it takes a while for developmental programming to occur, once established, the effects tend to endure. • The children whose intellectual functioning was most impaired at 6 years showed some “catch up” between ages 6 and 11. This finding is consistent with what is known about brain plasticity, i.e., that important cognitive and intellectual development continues into adult life and may be influenced by the environment. • Even among the children who suffered the mo st prolonged institutional deprivation, there was huge individual variation in outcome. Some children suffered badly but others emerged relatively unscathed. This finding s upports other research suggesting that genetic factors influence one’s susceptibility to environmental hazards – a possibility that will be investigated in further research. While the overall results show a pattern that involves both continuity and change – one common to all forms of development – the details pres ent substantial challenges to many theoretical assumptions, notes lead researcher Dr. Celia Beckett, of King’s College in London. These include the idea that:
• Children raised with early deprivation would recover co mpletely if removed to a completely different environment. “This is no t the case in this study,” said Dr. Beckett, “as there a continuing and pe rsistent effect of deprivation after 7-½ years.” • The “catch-up” after removal fr om the institution would be completed in a short period following adoption. Instead, said Dr. Becke tt, “This study shows that the period for catch-up is more extensive than previously thought.” • Deprivation beyond six months would not have any additional effect. “Our findings suggest that instead of the effects of depriv ation being cumulative, there is a sensitive period of about 12 months during which exposur e to deprivation can cause irreversible effects,” she said. “Our findings in this study are encouraging,” Dr. Becket said, “since they show that the children who were most impaired at age 6 have continue d to progress intellectually. We are currently studying the children at age 15 and it will be intere sting to see whether this pattern continues.” Although this study doesn’t directly translate to other groups of children because of the degree of deprivation encountered by the Romanian children, Dr . Beckett notes that it suggests that even in the most severe cases of deprivation there are grounds for optimism that children will experience some continuing progress. ### Summarized from Child Development , Vol. 77, Issue 3. Do the effects of early severe deprivation on cognition persist into early adolescence? Findings from the English and Romanian Adoptees study By Beckett C, Maughan B, Rutter M, Castle J, Colvert E, Groothues C, Kreppner J, Stevens S (King’s College, L ondon), O’Connor TG (University of Rochester Medical Center), and Sonuga-Bar ke EJS (King’s College, University of Southampton and New York University). Copyright 2006 The Society fo r Research in Child Development, Inc. All rights reserved.
