Arguments in the Home Linked With Babies' Brain Functioning

Have you ever heard people say that babies can't understand us? Well that's not exactly true. A study conducted by graduate student Alice Graham and her advisers Phil Fisher and Jennifer Pfeifer, found that babies respond to our tone of voice, especially angry ones, even when they're asleep. Babies brains are highly plastic, meaning they're kind of like sponges, soaking up everything around them to help them develop responses to environments and encounters that they experience. It has its downsides though, as severe stress can have a significant and negative effect on the child's development.

In their experiment, Graham, Fisher and Pfeifer took 20 infants, ranging from 6-12 months in age, into their lab at the child's regular bedtime. They were placed in an MRI scanner and once asleep, were presented with nonsense sentences spoken in different tones of voice by an adult male; ranging from very angry, mildly angry, happy and neutral. "Even during sleep, infants showed distinct patters of brain activity depending on the emotional tone of voice we have presented," said Graham. Children from high conflict homes showed more of a reaction to the very angry tone of voice in the parts of their brains that are linked to stress and emotional regulation. Conflicts between parents at early stages in an infants life can have serious detrimental effects on their child's development.

NOS Themes:

1. Science is based on evidence

2. The Role of Motivation and Curiosity

3. Science is collaborative.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130325135359.htm