Did you know:
- Brains are built over time, from the bottom up, through an ongoing process that begins before birth. Simple neural connections form first, followed by more complex circuits.
- The connections that form early provide either a strong or weak foundation for the connections that form later.
- Our early experiences shape our brain architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health.
Brains are built over time, from the bottom up. The brain’s basic architecture is constructed through an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues into adulthood. Simple neural connections and skills develop first, followed by more complex circuits and skills. After a period of especially rapid growth in the first few years, the brain refines itself through a process called pruning, making its circuits more efficient.
Brain architecture is made up of billions of connections between individual neurons across different areas of the brain, enabling lightning-fast communication among neurons that specialize in various functions. While the process of building new connections and pruning unused ones continues throughout life, the connections that form early provide either a strong or weak foundation for the connections that form later.
While new connections in the brain can form throughout life, the first years are critical for establishing a healthy foundation, with implications for interconnected cognitive, emotional, and social abilities that have early beginnings. By minimizing negative influences in a child’s developmental environment, including toxic stress, and bolstering positive influences, like responsive relationships, we can support healthy brain development and the foundations of lifelong health and well-being.
