Shaping a Healthy Brain from the Start

Even though most of us don’t remember the first few years of life, they matter immensely. That’s because they shape the architecture of the developing brain and influence lifelong well-being. For example, early experiences affect a child’s future risk of mental-health disorders such as depression or anxiety. The good news is that early childhood presents a unique opportunity to intervene in ways that could set someone on a different, healthier path. 

One of the researchers who is laying the groundwork to make this happen is Dr. Vikram Patel, the Pershing Square Professor of Global Health at Harvard Medical School. His internationally lauded work looks at ways of preventing/treating mental illness—starting in early childhood—in low- and middle-income countries. He’s also interested in finding ways to support people with autism spectrum disorder in these low-resource settings. 

Compared to other children, those who are living with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities are more likely to struggle with mental-health challenges. That’s one of many reasons why KBHN has awarded its annual Fraser Mustard Lecture to Patel. He will be delivering it on August 29 at DOHaD World Congress 2022 in Vancouver. 

Congress attendees who are interested in solutions for alleviating the burden of poor mental health should also not miss the KBHN-sponsored symposium “Early Brain Development and the Origins of Infant Mental Health,” also on August 29. 

Among the presenters will be Dr. Judy Cameron, who has been conducting research in Alberta with young children who are using social services and living in stressful environments. For a recent study, she followed preschoolers for 12 months to see which aspects of their lives would predict developmental outcomes. “The overwhelming mediator was poor sleep,” she says. “Seventy-seven per cent of the children were not getting adequate sleep… and this could lead to problems with cognitive and social-emotional development. It’s a huge number: in no way did we expect that.” 

Cameron points out that social-emotional skills help prevent mental-health problems down the road. Fortunately, “sleep is something you can do something about,” she adds. In fact, she has co-developed parenting resources to help children get all the shut-eye they need to feel and do their best. Similarly, KBHN-funded researchers—who are also aware of the crucial importance of sleep—are developing a web-based intervention for families of children with NDDs. 

The symposium will also feature the work of Dr. Sheri Madigan, who will speak about the effect of caregiver sensitivity on development. Finally, Dr. Michael Meaney will discuss how interactions between “nature” and “nurture” can lead to childhood depression and anxiety.