A loving family can boost a child's intelligence
Categories: Adoption, Health & safety, Development, Media, That's entertainment
The UK Guardian is reporting the results of a
five-year study which seems to indicate that depriving children of a loving family environment causes not only lasting
damage to their emotional and psychological wellbeing, but to their intelligence and physical stature as well.
The Bucharest Early Intervention Project studied the wellbeing of children in a Romanian orphanage over five years, and
recorded the changes they experienced when transferred into foster care. Researchers found children living in
deprived conditions suffered stunted growth; however, upon being transferred to a foster home, they went through
astounding growth spurts."They can grow five times faster than normal and by the time they've been in foster care for a year and a half they will nearly have caught up," said Dana Johnson, professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, who estimates children in orphanages lose one month of growth for every three they spend there.
The study further showed remarkable improvements in the children's IQs and emotional test results upon being removed from the orphanages and placed in foster care.
An amazing study. For those of you considering adoption -- particularly older children -- this is definitely worth a read. As far as I'm concerned, it's further confirmation of the power of love.
(Thanks to Caitlin for the tip!)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kate 3-09-2006 @ 4:32PM
I always worry that I am not loving enough. I mean, I love my baby more than I ever even thought was possible, but who knows. I never thought that her intelligence or shortness would be affected by my shortcomings as a mother, but I guess I'll add that to my list of things to feel guilty about.
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daisy 3-09-2006 @ 6:42PM
Karen, thanks so much for posting this! As an adoptive-mom-to-be, this is very reassuring.
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Caitlin 3-09-2006 @ 6:43PM
I think it was more about the kids who don't have that special person (mother, father, grandparent, etc) in their life. They have a group of caretakers and they may see a different person every day. Just because you tell one person something, doesn't mean it filters down to the rest of the caretakers when they have other kids to worry about too. They just get lost in the shuffle. Caretakers quit too, so it doesn't really encourage children to form a bond with anyone.
I think the average parent doesn't really have to worry. We manage to make time to help our little ones feel special and to play with them or help them sort out their feelings. We remember that they're scared of the dark, and don't forget to turn on the nightlight. When they trip and fall, we offer a hand up, and clean their scraped knee.
There's probably a hundred thousand different little things we'll do for our children as they grow up because we love them. And for most of them, we'll do them without a second thought. But the kids at the orphanage don't have anyone who does little things like that without a second thought, and I think that's where the damage starts and that's why it's fixable once they get their own family.
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Teresa 3-20-2006 @ 9:29AM
I agree with Caitlin - it's not the typical kids who have parents who love them but just can't (or won't because why should we?) smother them with love and affection all day, it's the ones who are truly deprived of any real affection and acts of love who suffer.
I find it a relief to know that the children from orphanages thrive in a loving environment in roughly a year's time. I always thought deprivation might be irreversible, glad to see there's a study showing it's not.
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Lisa DIckson 4-21-2006 @ 11:00PM
Thank you so very much for sharing this information! As a former foster child and current child advocate, this type of research is very valuable.
I feel quite lucky that my mom (who died when I was 10) spent the first decade of my life loving me and teaching me.
I credit her with the fact that, despite the fact that I bounced between foster group placements between the ages of 12-16, I started college at age 16 and now have a Masters degree, husband and two children.
My mother's loving legacy outlasted her early demise.
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