Schore emphasizes the first two years of life as the most crucial for brain development, as 80 percent of the brain cells a person will ever have are manufactured during that period.
From the beginning of third trimester of pregnancy to the 24th month of life, the human brain more than doubles in size, but only if it gets the “right” positive experiences, Schore says.
“There is something the human brain needs in terms of contact with other humans for it to grow,” Schore says.
Throughout the first two years of life brain cells and their wiring are established – closing down connections that are seldom or never used and reinforcing the ones that are often used.
“The connections that are not used die off,” he says. “It’s a use it or lose it situation. Cells that fire together wire together and do not die together.”
“The brain does not continue to grow and grow and grow. It organizes, then disorganizes, then reorganizes. The disorganization of the brain — the massive death of billions of neurons and disconnection of synapses — is part of how the brain is growing as it’s reorganizing.”
The hormones generated by the relationship between the infant and mother (or primary caregiver) affect the way the genes are encoded.
“We know now for a fact that the endorphins regulate genes positively,” Schore said. “We also know that cortisol, a stress hormone, also regulates genes.”
This is why emotionally enriched (positive) environments are key for infants, he says.
Joining with the child to “co-regulate high levels of positive emotion” like joy, interest and excitement during the first two years literally sets the tone for the rest of their lives.
