Originally published December 7 2005
Wisconsin professor finds out how environment affects a child's ability to socialize
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
MedPageToday reviews a study led by Seth Pollack, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology and pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, who found that uncaring environments that minimize affection given to children, like some Eastern European orphanages, contribute to hormone deficiencies that affect children's abilities to bond socially.
Children raised in the uncaring environment of some eastern European orphanages ended up with a long-lasting deficit in two hormones involved in forming social bonds, reported researchers here.
The deficits in oxytocin and arginine vasopressin persisted even after the children were removed from the orphanages and placed with loving and stable families in Wisconsin, Dr. Pollack and colleagues reported in the Nov. 21 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The two hormones are known to play a role in the ability to form social bonds, Dr. Pollack said, and the deficit he and colleagues found is the first demonstration that early neglect can have a direct effect on neurobiology in ways that may later influence emotional behavior.
Normally, Dr. Pollack said, infants begin to bond with caregivers almost immediately after birth and it is difficult to separate the influences of social experience and biology on such complex behavior.
They compared 18 four-year-olds who had spent an average of 16.6 months in the orphanages and who were then adopted by families in Wisconsin to 21 children who were living with their biological parents.
A baseline analysis showed that the former orphans began with markedly lower levels of vasopressin than the control children.
The difference was statistically significant at p<0.01.
That suggests, Dr. Pollack and colleagues said, that social deprivation may inhibit the development of the vasopressin system.
In the experiment itself, the children were asked to sit on the lap of a woman and play a 30-minute computer game that directed them to engage in various forms of physical contact, such as whispering, tickling, or patting each other on the head.
Dr. Pollack said the results may help explain why many neglected children have difficulties forming secure relationships, but added it should not be taken as evidence that the damage is permanent.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml