Early Childhood Experiences Shape Health Throughout Life

Abstract

Abstract This chapter describes the crucial ways in which experiences in early childhood shape adult health. Favorable material and psychosocial conditions early in life—particularly the first 5 years—can launch a child on pathways toward optimal health and well-being. Conversely, unfavorable experiences (e.g., economic insecurity, food insecurity, abuse or neglect, a parent with mental illness, an incarcerated parent, or insufficient stimulation during critical/sensitive periods for brain development) in early childhood can set off a vicious cycle leading to both social disadvantage and ill health in adulthood and, in turn, to disadvantage for the next generation, continuing the vicious cycle. Economic adversity and effects of systemic racism experienced in early childhood are threats to lifelong health in many ways, including through effects of stress, poor nutrition, and exposures to environmental hazards. Chronic stress due to inadequate economic resources can make it more difficult even for motivated parents to provide adequate stimulation for brain development in the crucial early years. Children from middle-class as well as low-income families experience substantial benefits from early childhood interventions such as center-based care and education or home visiting. Psychosocial adversity (e.g., family disruption, domestic violence, and child abuse) in early childhood is strongly associated with adverse adult outcomes; insufficient attention has been given to the economic conditions that produce or exacerbate adverse psychosocial events in families with young children. In this chapter, initiatives to make early childhood healthier and more equitable are discussed.