Experience, brain, and behavior: The importance of a head start

Nature and nurture stand in reciprocity, not opposition. All children inher it-along with their parents' genes-their parents, their peers, and the comm unities they live in. Development unfolds in an ecologic and a social setti ng which, just like the genes, is decisive in shaping the organism, The soc ial niche is a crucial link between parents and offspring, an envelope of l ife chances. It is high time to replace the false dichotomy between nature versus nurture by a more inclusive Mo: nature, niche, and nurture. Major brain pathways are specified in the genome, but the learned connectio ns between brain and behavior are fashioned by social experience. The luxur iant overgrowth of neurons and their processes in embryonic and early life provides the substrate for environmentally induced structural change. Activ ity selects out the synapses that will persist; inactivity results in regre ssion and apoptosis. Learning begins in utero and accelerates after birth. Responsive interactions between infants, their parents, and other caretaker s is crucial to biological no less than psychosocial development, Comprehen sive pediatric care can help provide a head start to enhance brain developm ent and put the mind on the road to adaptive maturity.