11.1 The 1001 critical days

By the 1001st day the brain has reached 80% of its adult weight so the early years are vital to optimum development and nurturing, giving babies a good start in life.

  • Birth to 18 months: connections in the brain are created at a rate of 1 million/sec. The earliest experiences in life shape the infants brain development and have a lifelong impact on mental and emotional health.
  • Foetal influences by toxic stress can have their stress responses (cortisol levels) distorted in later life, this toxic early stress can come from maternal depression/anxiety or external traumas such as bereavement or a poor partner relationship.
  • Clear evidence exists that a baby’s social and emotional development is affected by the quality of parental attachment.
  • Babies are disproportionately vulnerable to abuse or harm. In England they are seven times more likely to be killed than older children. Approx 26% ( 198,000) babies in the UK are estimated to be living in complex situations which can heighten risks for the child’s wellbeing, where there are problems such as substance abuse or mental health problems.
  • The best chance to turn this around is by paying attention to the critical early days and years of life.