Early Childhood Deprivation Research Articles

Experiences of Adversity and Validity of Baseline Concussion Testing.

Neurocognitive testing is a critical tool in the management of sport-related concussions. Adversity during childhood and adolescence affects cognitive tasks, behavioral outcomes, and academic performance. Adversity may be important in baseline concussion test validity as well; however, the influence of these experiences is not well understood. To examine the relationship between individual-level experiences of adversity and baseline test validity of Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). We hypothesized that experiences of poverty, maltreatment, or extreme neighborhood deprivation would be associated with lower odds of baseline test validity. Case-control study. Cuyahoga County, Ohio. A total of 6495 student-athletes born from 1995 through 2005 who completed a baseline ImPACT test between 10 and 18 years old and were identified in the Child-Household Integrated Longitudinal Data system, a comprehensive data system with demographic and social service usage outcomes for children in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Baseline concussion test validity was determined using the ImPACT built-in validity measure. Experiences of adversity during the sensitive developmental periods of early childhood and adolescence were key independent variables. Our findings suggested that social mobility may play an important role in baseline validity. Youth with upward social mobility (ie, poverty or neighborhood deprivation in early childhood only) were not different from youth without such experiences (odds ratio [OR] = 0.91, P = .74). Youth with persistent adversity across childhood or downward social mobility (ie, poverty or high neighborhood deprivation in adolescence only) had 50% to 72% lower odds of achieving a valid baseline test (persistent poverty, OR = 0.59, P = .05; adolescent poverty only, OR = 0.50, P = .004; adolescent neighborhood deprivation only, OR = 0.28, P < .001). Maltreatment had no significant effect on test validity. These findings indicated that certain patterns of adversity may predispose youth to invalid baseline testing scores, potentially increasing their risk of inappropriate injury management and poor outcomes.

Long-term association between neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation in early childhood and perceived stress in early adulthood: a multilevel cohort study

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation is related to mental health problems, with chronic stress responses as one possible biopsychological pathway; however, less is known about the possible...

Examining Child Deprivation Across California and How It Could Be Addressed with Early Childhood Education

Socioeconomic deprivation can create adverse conditions with direct impacts on the development of children. The Early Childhood Deprivation Index (ECDI) shows that there are significant differences in the extent of deprivation of young children (aged 0 to 5 years) among the counties in California. Our research shows that the cost of childcare forms a significant proportion of family income among low- and middle-income families. It indicates that families can pay for a high proportion of such costs if they could access the available federal and state government entitlements. A universal high-quality early childhood education system brings about an efficient way of providing the childcare without the unnecessary cost of employing a means-tested entitlement mechanism. &nbsp;However, even with universal early childhood education, families need support to be able to take advantage of the program, since pre-schooling will be on a voluntary basis. It is therefore important that in addition to providing education universally- communities, and the state make every effort to increase the ability of California families to benefit from this important opportunity.

A Prospective Study of the Impact of Severe Childhood Deprivation on Brain White Matter in Adult Adoptees: Widespread Localized Reductions in Volume But Unaffected Microstructural Organization.

Early childhood neglect can impact brain development across the lifespan. Using voxel-based approaches we recently reported that severe and time-limited institutional deprivation in early childhood was linked to substantial reductions in total brain volume in adulthood, >20 years later. Here, we extend this analysis to explore deprivation-related regional white matter volume and microstructural organization using diffusion-based techniques. A combination of tensor-based morphometry (TBM) analysis and tractography was conducted on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data from 59 young adults who spent between 3 and 41 months in the severely depriving Romanian institutions of the 1980s before being adopted into United Kingdom families, and 20 nondeprived age-matched United Kingdom controls. Independent of total volume, institutional deprivation was associated with smaller volumes in localized regions across a range of white matter tracts including (1) long-ranging association fibers such as bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), left superior longitudinal fasciculi (SLFs), and left arcuate fasciculus; (2) tracts of the limbic circuitry including fornix and cingulum; and (3) projection fibers with the corticospinal tract particularly affected. Tractographic analysis found no evidence of altered microstructural organization of any tract in terms of hindrance modulated orientational anisotropy (HMOA), fractional anisotropy (FA), or mean diffusivity (MD). We provide further evidence for the effects of early neglect on brain development and their persistence in adulthood despite many years of environmental enrichment associated with successful adoption. Localized white matter effects appear limited to volumetric changes with microstructural organization unaffected.

Early deprivation alters structural brain development from middle childhood to adolescence.

Hypotheses concerning the biologic embedding of early adversity via developmental neuroplasticity mechanisms have been proposed on the basis of experimental studies in animals. However, no studies have demonstrated a causal link between early adversity and neural development in humans. Here, we present evidence from a randomized controlled trial linking psychosocial deprivation in early childhood to changes in cortical development from childhood to adolescence using longitudinal data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Changes in cortical structure due to randomization to foster care were most pronounced in the lateral and medial prefrontal cortex and in white matter tracts connecting the prefrontal and parietal cortex. Demonstrating the causal impact of exposure to deprivation on the development of neural structure highlights the importance of early placement into family-based care to mitigate lasting neurodevelopmental consequences associated with early-life deprivation.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Deprivation in Early Childhood Mediates Racial Disparities in Blood Pressure in a College Student Sample.

The influence of childhood contexts on adult blood pressure is an important yet understudied topic. Using a developmental perspective, this study examines the association between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage in early childhood (0-5 yrs), middle childhood (6-12 yrs) and adolescence (13-18 yrs) on subsequent blood pressure in young adulthood. Data were from 263 college students (52% Black; Mage = 19.21 years) and neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was measured using a tract-level Area Deprivation Index. Neighborhood disadvantage in early childhood was significantly associated with diastolic blood pressure and explained 22% of the race difference between Black and White adults. The findings are consistent with the notion that early childhood may be a sensitive period for the effects of neighborhood disadvantage on blood pressure.

A-44 Experiences of Adversity and Validity of Baseline Concussion Testing

Abstract Purpose: This study examined the relationship between individual-level experiences of social adversity and baseline computerized concussion testing validity (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing; ImPACT). Methods: This study involved 6495 student-athletes born between 1995 and 2005 who completed a baseline ImPACT test between 10 and 18 years old and could be identified in the Child-Household Integrated Longitudinal Data (CHILD) System, a continuously updated integrated and comprehensive data system that captures detailed individual-level demographic, social service usage, and educational outcomes on every child born or living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio from 1989 to present. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted with experiences of SNAP/TANF enrollment, substantiated abuse or neglect incidents, and extreme neighborhood deprivation occurring in the sensitive developmental periods of early childhood and adolescence as key predictors of baseline test validity. Results: Our findings suggest that social mobility may play an important role in baseline validity. Youth with upward social mobility (poverty or neighborhood deprivation in early childhood only) were not significantly different than youth without such experiences (OR = 0.91, p = 0.74). Youth with persistent adversity across childhood or downward social mobility (poverty or high neighborhood deprivation in adolescence only) had 50–72% lower odds of achieving a valid baseline test (persistent poverty: OR = 0.59, p = 0.05; adolescent poverty only: OR = 0.50, p = 0.004; adolescent neighborhood deprivation only: OR = 0.28, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Conclusions: These findings suggest certain patterns of social adversity may predispose youth to invalid computerized concussion baseline testing scores, potentially increasing their risk of inaccurate injury management and poor outcomes.

Cortical imbalance following delayed restoration of bilateral hearing in deaf adolescents.

Unilateral auditory deprivation in early childhood can lead to cortical strengthening of inputs from the stimulated side, yet the impact of this on bilateral processing when inputs are later restored beyond an early sensitive period is unknown. To address this, we conducted a longitudinal study with 13 bilaterally profoundly deaf adolescents who received unilateral access to sound via a cochlear implant (CI) in their right ear in early childhood before receiving bilateral access to sound a decade later via a second CI in their left ear. Auditory‐evoked cortical responses to unilateral and bilateral stimulation were measured repeatedly using electroencephalogram from 1 week to 14 months after activation of their second CI. Early cortical responses from the newly implanted ear and bilateral stimulation were atypically lateralized to the left ipsilateral auditory cortex. Duration of unilateral deafness predicted an unexpectedly stronger representation of inputs from the newly implanted, compared to the first implanted ear, in left auditory cortex. Significant initial reductions in responses were observed, yet a left‐hemisphere bias and unequal weighting of inputs favoring the long‐term deaf ear did not converge to a balanced state observed in the binaurally developed system. Bilateral response enhancement was significantly reduced in left auditory cortex suggesting deficits in ipsilateral response inhibition of new, dominant, inputs during bilateral processing. These findings paradoxically demonstrate the adaptive capacity of the adolescent auditory system beyond an early sensitive period for bilateral input, as well as restrictions on its potential to fully reverse cortical imbalances driven by long‐term unilateral deafness.

Impact of Economic Growth on Child Malnutrition in Pakistan: A Time Series Analysis

Child malnutrition is of utmost concern since deprivation in early childhood often causes irreversible damage to physical and mental health, reduces learning at school, and leads to lower incomes as an adult. The study's primary purpose is to investigate the relationship between economic growth and malnutrition in Pakistan. There is a general view that if economic growth increases, malnutrition decreases. The present study examined the impact of economic growth on malnutrition in Pakistan. The study is based on time series data taking from the period of 1985 to 2021. The data are obtained from World Development Indicator (WDI) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Six variables are used in the study, as malnutrition is the dependent variable while economic growth, immunization, health expenditures, mother education, and improved water are independent variables. The non-linear Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag Model (NARDL) is used for the empirical analysis. The results also show the long-run relationship between economic growth and malnutrition; if economic growth increases, malnutrition decreases in children.

Severe deprivation in early childhood leads to permanent growth stunting: Longitudinal analysis of height trajectories from childhood-to-adulthood

BackgroundChildhood institutional deprivation is associated with growth stunting in childhood but long-term effects in adulthood remain uncertain. ObjectiveTo examine the impact of global institutional deprivation experienced in early childhood on subsequent growth with a special focus on final adult height and puberty timing. Participants & settingThe study was originally set in the UK, though some adoptive families lived abroad by the time of the adult follow up. 165 individuals adopted by UK families before 43 months of age from Romanian orphanages after the fall of the Ceaușescu regime in the early 1990's were compared to 51 non-deprived UK adoptees, adopted before the age of 6 months. MethodsThe English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study is a 20-year longitudinal natural experiment on the effects of institutional deprivation on development. Key growth milestones were extracted from growth curve modelling of height data collected at ages 4, 6, 11, 15 and 23 years using a Bayesian approach to fit the JPA2 model. ResultsDeprivation effects on height were present at the take-off point of accelerating adolescent growth and persisted into adulthood – the largest effects being for individuals who experienced over six months of deprivation. Deprivation was associated with earlier take-off and achievement of peak height velocity of adolescent growth acceleration – an effect driven largely by females' data and correlated with parent ratings of pubertal development. ConclusionsEarly deprivation appears to reset tempo of growth early in development leading to permanent growth stunting in adulthood and accelerated onset of puberty, specifically in females.

Psychiatric outcomes following severe deprivation in early childhood: Follow-up of a randomized controlled trial at age 16.

Early psychosocial deprivation is associated with increased risk for psychopathology, yet few studies have examined outcomes in adolescents. At baseline (M age 22 months), 136 children from Bucharest, Romania, living in large institutions, were randomized into foster care (FCG) or to care as usual (CAUG). Caregivers completed psychiatric interviews regarding their children (52 FCG; 51 CAUG) at age 16 years (M = 16.67 years; SD = 0.78) to assess past year diagnoses and symptom counts. In addition, never-institutionalized community comparison children (n = 47) were included. Ever-institutionalized children had higher rates of meeting criteria for any psychiatric disorder and higher symptom counts of internalizing, externalizing, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and substance use disorders compared to never-institutionalized children (ps < .05). Using intent-to-treat analyses, we found that children in the CAUG had more than twice the rate of psychiatric disorders than children in the FCG (OR = 2.48, 95% CI [1.12, 5.48]). Furthermore, children in foster care who remained in their original placement did not significantly differ in their rates of psychiatric disorders compared to never-institutionalized children. There are many ways children can be separated from parents, including placement into institutional care. The current findings indicate that such placements are associated with significant risks for psychopathology. Moreover, we provide causal evidence for the long-lasting positive effect of foster care in reducing the risk of psychopathology in adolescence, especially among those in stable placements. These results provide strong evidence that early and stable placements into quality foster care may mitigate risk for psychopathology following severe early psychosocial deprivation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Early-life food deprivation and cognitive performance among older Europeans

BackgroundEarly-life adversity, including food deprivation, has been linked with late-life cognitive function. Our aim was to explore the association between the early experience of hunger (the age at which it was experienced and its duration) and cognitive performance and decline among older Europeans. MethodsOur sample comprised dementia-free individuals aged ≥65 years who participated in waves 3 and 4 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Information on periods of hunger during the life course was gathered in wave 3 (2009; SHARELIFE). Cognitive performance was assessed using tests of memory, verbal fluency and numeracy in waves 4 (2011) and 5 (2013). Regression models were used to assess the relationship between the experience of hunger at different ages and its duration and cognitive performance and decline while adjusting for age, sex, education, lifestyle and health factors. ResultsAmong a sample of 2131 individuals (mean age = 76.2 years; 50 % women), the experience of hunger when aged 0−4 years was associated with poorer immediate and delayed recall, fluency and impaired numeracy factors (B±SE=-0.58 ± 0.12; p < 0.001; B±SE=-0.74 ± 0.13; p < 0.001, B±SE=-1.60 ± 0.42; p < 0.001 and OR [95 % CI] = 0.57 [0.42−0.79], respectively). These results attenuated after controlling for duration of the experience of hunger but remained significant for immediate and delayed recall. The experience of hunger at ages 12−18 years was associated with better immediate recall, delayed recall and fluency (B±SE = 0.38 ± 0.15; p = 0.010; B±SE = 0.37 ± 0.17; p = 0.026, B±SE = 1.57 ± 0.53; p = 0.003, respectively). The associations of hunger with cognitive decline were similar but less robust. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that severe nutritional deprivation in early childhood may be associated with poor cognitive function in later life, while food deprivation in later childhood and adolescence may be protective.

Down to size

Research has shown a link between extreme deprivation in early childhood and smaller brain size. Meredith Jones Russell reports

The impact of childhood deprivation on adult neuropsychological functioning is associated with ADHD symptom persistence

Institutional deprivation in early childhood is associated with neuropsychological deficits in adolescence. Using 20-year follow-up data from a unique natural experiment - the large-scale adoption of children exposed to extreme deprivation in Romanian institutions in the 1980s -we examined, for the first time, whether such deficits are still present in adulthood and whether they are associated with deprivation-related symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adult neuropsychological functioning was assessed across five domains (inhibitory control, emotion recognition, decision-making, prospective memory and IQ) in 70 previously institutionalized adoptees (mean age = 25.3, 50% female) and 22 non-deprived UK adoptees (comparison group, mean age = 24.6, 41% female). ADHD and ASD symptoms were assessed using parent-completed questionnaires. Early institutionalization was associated with impaired performance on all tasks in adulthood. Prospective memory deficits persisted after controlling for IQ. ADHD and ASD symptoms were positively correlated. After controlling for ASD symptoms, ADHD symptoms remained associated with deficits in IQ, prospective memory, proactive inhibition, decision-making quality and emotion recognition. ASD symptoms were not independently associated with neuropsychological deficits when accounting for their overlap with ADHD symptoms. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the link between childhood deprivation and adult ADHD symptoms was statistically explained by deprivation-related differences in adult IQ and prospective memory. These results represent some of the most compelling evidence to date of the enduring power of early, time-limited childhood adversity to impair long-term neuropsychological functioning across the lifespan - effects that are linked specifically to deprivation-related adult ADHD symptoms.

Sensory deprivation in children living in suboptimal care environments.

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, reflects on new research which illuminates the impact of sensory deprivation in early childhood.

Why does early childhood deprivation increase the risk for depression and anxiety in adulthood? A developmental cascade model.

BackgroundUsing data from the English & Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study, we recently reported that early time‐limited exposure to severe institutional deprivation is associated with early‐onset and persistent neurodevelopmental problems and later‐onset emotional problems. Here, we examine possible reasons for the late emergence of emotional problems in this cohort. Our main focus is on testing a developmental cascade mediated via the functional impact of early‐appearing neurodevelopmental problems on late adolescent functioning. We also explore a second putative pathway via sensitization to stress.MethodsThe ERA study includes 165 Romanian individuals who spent their early lives in grossly depriving institutions and were subsequently adopted into UK families, along with 52 UK adoptees with no history of deprivation. Age six years symptoms of neurodevelopmental problems and age 15 anxiety/depression symptoms were assessed via parental reports. Young adult symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed by both parent and self‐reports; young adults also completed measures of stress reactivity, exposure to adverse life events, and functioning in work and interpersonal relationships.ResultsThe path between early institutional deprivation and adult emotional problems was mediated via the impact of early neurodevelopmental problems on unemployment and poor friendship functioning during the transition to adulthood. The findings with regard to early deprivation, later life stress reactivity, and emotional problems were inconclusive.ConclusionsOur analysis suggests that the risk for adult depression and anxiety following extreme institutional deprivation is explained through the effects of early neurodevelopmental problems on later social and vocational functioning. Future research should more fully examine the role of stress susceptibility in this model.

Early childhood deprivation is associated with alterations in adult brain structure despite subsequent environmental enrichment

Early childhood deprivation is associated with higher rates of neurodevelopmental and mental disorders in adulthood. The impact of childhood deprivation on the adult brain and the extent to which structural changes underpin these effects are currently unknown. To investigate these questions, we utilized MRI data collected from young adults who were exposed to severe deprivation in early childhood in the Romanian orphanages of the Ceaușescu era and then, subsequently adopted by UK families; 67 Romanian adoptees (with between 3 and 41 mo of deprivation) were compared with 21 nondeprived UK adoptees. Romanian adoptees had substantially smaller total brain volumes (TBVs) than nondeprived adoptees (8.6% reduction), and TBV was strongly negatively associated with deprivation duration. This effect persisted after covarying for potential environmental and genetic confounds. In whole-brain analyses, deprived adoptees showed lower right inferior frontal surface area and volume but greater right inferior temporal lobe thickness, surface area, and volume than the nondeprived adoptees. Right medial prefrontal volume and surface area were positively associated with deprivation duration. No deprivation-related effects were observed in limbic regions. Global reductions in TBV statistically mediated the observed relationship between institutionalization and both lower intelligence quotient (IQ) and higher levels of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. The deprivation-related increase in right inferior temporal volume seemed to be compensatory, as it was associated with lower levels of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. We provide compelling evidence that time-limited severe deprivation in the first years of life is related to alterations in adult brain structure, despite extended enrichment in adoptive homes in the intervening years.

Supplemental Material for Psychiatric Outcomes Following Severe Deprivation in Early Childhood: Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial at Age 16

Supplemental Material for Psychiatric Outcomes Following Severe Deprivation in Early Childhood: Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial at Age 16

Educational engagement, expectation and attainment of children with disabilities: Evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study

Government statistics show that children with special educational needs and disabilities do not achieve as well academically as their peers, which impacts on later employment and socioeconomic circumstances. Addressing these inequalities is a key policy area which currently lacks a satisfactory evidence base. To explore the issue, the present study used data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study which contains data from the 1991, 2001 and 2011 censuses along with other administrative data, from a representative sample of the Scottish population. Using this large and longitudinal sample, the present study examines educational engagement, expectations and attainment for children with self‐reported disability, controlling for other early childhood factors. The results show that children with mental health problems were at higher risk of leaving school early, and that children with learning difficulties were less likely to gain advanced qualifications. Neither limiting long‐term illness in early childhood nor disability in adolescence were significant predictors of engagement, however, they did predict measures of academic expectation and attainment. Results suggest there is a critical phase for attainment, with area deprivation in early childhood but not adolescence being important for later educational inequalities.

Associations Between Boys' Early Childhood Exposure to Family and Neighborhood Poverty and Body Mass Index in Early Adolescence.

To test relations between exposure to poverty, in the forms of family income and neighborhood deprivation, during three developmental stages, and children's body mass index (BMI) in early adolescence. Data came from a longitudinal sample of racially diverse, urban, low-income boys. Interactions between family income to needs and census-derived neighborhood deprivation at three developmental stages-early childhood (18 and 24 months), preschool-to-school entry (3.5 and 6 years), and school-age (8 and 10 years)-were tested in relation to BMI at age 11. There was a significant interaction whereby higher income predicted lower BMI only in the context of low levels of neighborhood deprivation in early childhood. In high-deprivation neighborhoods, higher income was associated with risk for overweight/obesity in early adolescence. This pattern was found to be specific to income and neighborhood deprivation measured in early childhood. Findings have implications for policy relevant to obesity prevention. More research on associations between early exposure to poverty and later risk for obesity on low-income samples is warranted, as the relationship is likely complex and influenced by many different factors, including the family and neighborhood food environments and child health behaviors.