Separating a baby from a mother can have dramatic effects on brain development

When a child is taken by his mother for a short period of time, in a very young childhood, this traumatic event significantly alters the future function of the brain, according to a new study conducted on guinea pigs. These changes in the brain are similar to disorders in brain structure and function found in people at risk of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. These are all clues to how a traumatic event at the beginning of life could increase the risk of a person receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia in the future. The causes of schizophrenia and the delay in the appearance of symptoms of this disease throughout life remain a mystery. Children exposed to stress or early affective deprivation in life have a higher risk for mental illness and later life dependencies, including schizophrenia, said another co-author of the Brian F study. O'Donnell.

These types of brain changes could mediate the effects of adverse events on children. Thus, policies or interventions that reduce stress in children may reduce the vulnerability to emotional disturbances in adulthood. .