Early Childhood Development and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Role of Genes and Environment

• Genes (Nature)
  • Act as the blueprint for brain development.
  • Provide the basic framework.
  • Do not design the brain completely.
• Environmental Influences (Nurture)
  • Fine-tune brain function by shaping which brain connections get used.
  • Connections used more become stronger and more permanent.
  • Connections used less fade away.
• Interaction of Nature and Nurture
  • Together, genes and environment build the foundation for all future development.

Importance of Early Relationships

• Safe, stable, and nurturing relationships are crucial for healthy development.
• Children's brains also capture stressful experiences.

Types of Stress

• Positive Stress
  • Normal childhood experiences (e.g., starting daycare, meeting new people).
  • Essential for healthy development, promoting coping skills and confidence.
• Negative Stress (Toxic Stress)
  • Occurs when stress is frequent, chronic, and uncontrolled.
  • Lack of caregiver support makes it especially harmful.
  • Examples include abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, parental depression/addiction, and poverty.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

• Examples of ACEs
  • Abuse, neglect, exposure to intimate partner violence, parental depression/addiction, poverty.
• Potential Impacts
  • Social, emotional, and cognitive dysfunction.
  • Increased risk-taking behaviors (e.g., substance use).
  • Increased risk of disease, disability, and social problems.

Stress System Activation

• Stress Responses
  • Activation leads to alertness, increased heart rate, elevated cortisol and adrenaline.
  • Body ready for 'fight or flight'.
• Normal Recovery
  • Stress response turns off after the stress is over or if caregiver support is present.
  • Body returns to normal state.
• Chronic Stress Activation
  • Constant activation without caregiver support struggles to shut off.
  • Affects immune system, increases sickness/infection.
  • Toxic to the brain.

Brain Areas Affected by Toxic Stress

• Executive Center
  • Important for problem-solving, attention, reasoning, impulsivity, inhibition, and learning.
• Emotional Center
  • Involved in processing and interpreting emotions, impulse control.
• Memory and Learning Center
  • Major role in learning and memory formation/retrieval.

Epigenetics and Gene Expression

• Epigenetics
  • Changes how genes work without altering DNA code.
  • Influenced by chemical changes.
• Gene Hardware vs. Operating System Analogy
  • Genes = hardware; epigenetics = operating system.
• Influences on Epigenetics
  • Nutrition, exercise, smoking, stressors, relationships.
  • ACEs linked to epigenetic changes impacting stress, brain development, cognition, mental and physical health.
  • Early changes can be enduring and passed down generations.

Positive Interventions

• Role of Caregivers
  • Warm, loving, actively engaged caregivers promote healthy development.
  • Promote serve and return interactions (e.g., eye contact, responding to sounds and gestures).
• Support Programs
  • Programs that support caregivers in building skills beneficial for child development.