LASTING IMPACTS OF NEGLECT:
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BRAIN?

There was a study conducted called the Bucharest Early Intervention Project that followed 136 infants over a twelve year period. The study was analyzing these children who had been in the Romanian orphanages. The study showed that the children who had been institutionalized acquired language skills a lot slower and lack problem solving skills compared to the children raised in foster homes. The institutionalized brains were smaller in size and the children had low IQs. More of the children in the institutions were more likely to have psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. The social development of the children was very abnormal, and all of these differences and changes in the brain supported the idea that the brain of these children was greatly affected and hurt because they suffered neglect during their developmental period; “‘For children being raised in any kind of adversity, the sooner you can get them into an adequate caregiving environment, the better their chances are for developing normally,’ says Charles Zeanah” (Cozens). Unfortunately, adopted Romanian children who have these brain affects are still suffering in adulthood.