New CDC-funded Report: The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood

A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. According to a new report from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University and funded, in part, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health in the earliest years—beginning with the future mother’s well-being before she becomes pregnant—lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality.

When developing biological systems are strengthened by positive early experiences, children are more likely to thrive and grow up to be healthy adults. Sound health also provides a foundation for the construction of sturdy brain architecture and the achievement of a broad range of skills and learning capacities.

The new report, The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood, was co-authored by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, both of which are initiatives of the Center on the Developing Child.

According to the authors, advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, and genomics have converged on three compelling conclusions:

· Early experiences are built into our bodies.

· Significant adversity can produce physiological disruptions or biological “memories” that undermine the development of the body’s stress response systems and affect the developing brain, cardiovascular system, immune system, and metabolic regulatory controls.

· These physiological disruptions can persist far into adulthood and lead to lifelong impairments in both physical and mental health.

This report also provides messages for decision-makers who are searching for more effective ways to improve the health of the nation and offers a new, science-based framework for innovative approaches to early childhood policy and practice.

To read the full report, download a PDF, and order printed copies, please visit: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/library/reports_and_working_papers/foundations-of-lifelong-health.

To learn more about CDC’s work to promote safe, stable, and nurturing relationships for children and to prevent child maltreatment, go to: www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention.

[posted on behalf of CDC

Andrés Arroyo, Archiving Assistant

National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN)

Beebe Hall -FLDC, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14853

607-255-7799 | fax 607-255-8562 | www.ndacan.cornell.edu]