Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Neglected children end up with 'smaller brains'

Neglected children end up with 'smaller brains'

An early life full of neglect, deprivation and adversity leads to people growing up with smaller brains, a study suggests.
The researchers at King's College London were following adopted children who spent time in "hellhole" Romanian orphanages.

They grew up with brains 8.6% smaller than other adoptees.

The researchers said it was the "most compelling" evidence of the impact on the adult brain.

The appalling care at the orphanages came to light after the fall of Romania's communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.

"I remember TV pictures of those institutions, they were shocking," Prof Edmund Sonuga-Barke, who now leads the study following those children, told the BBC.

He described the institutions as "hellholes" where children were "chained into their cots, rocking, filthy and emaciated".

The children were physically and psychologically deprived with little social contact, no toys and often ravaged by disease.

The children studied had spent between two weeks and nearly four years in such institutions.

Previous studies on children who were later adopted by loving families in the UK showed they were still experiencing mental health problems in adulthood.

Higher levels of traits including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a lack of fear of strangers (disinhibited social engagement disorder) have all been documented.

The latest study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to scan the brains for answers.

There were 67 Romanian adoptees in the study and their brains were compared to 21 adoptees who did not suffer early life deprivation.

"What we found is really quite striking," Prof Sonuga-Barke told the BBC.

First the total brain volume - the size of the brain - was 8.6% smaller in the Romanian adoptees on average.

And the longer they spent in the Romanian orphanages, the greater the reduction in brain size.

However, the impact on the brain was not uniform.

Prof Mitul Mehta, one of the researchers, said: "We found structural differences between the two groups in three regions of the brain.

"These regions are linked to functions such as organisation, motivation, integration of information and memory."

The researchers say these findings could help explain lower IQ and higher rates of ADHD in these adults.

What the study cannot explain is what exactly about early life neglect and deprivation has this effect on the brain.

It means it is hard to work out the effect of other early life traumas such as abuse or being a refugee.

However, the study is clear that the impact on the developing brain goes far beyond just poor nutrition.

Prof Sonuga-Barke said: "This study is important because it highlights for the first time, in a compelling way, the power of the early environment and early adversity to shape brain development.

"It drives impairments over this long period of time - over 20 years - even when children have received top-notch care in loving adoptive families."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×