New studies show that poverty interacts with genes to undermine early brain development.These findings are especially important for Memphians, where far too many of our youngest citizens are at risk of growing up in poverty.
In collaboration with The Urban Child Institute, The Neuroscience Institute of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center will feature nationally recognized neuroscience professionals during a Brain Awareness Week presentation March 24 to promote brain science and positive behaviors that e
Birth defects were responsible for 1 in 5 infant deaths in Tennessee in 2004. Memphis already leads the nation in infant mortality, making it imperative that we emphasize proper prenatal care. Women should eat at least 400 micrograms of the B vitamin folic acid every day.
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the most common congenital anomalies in the United States, second only in frequency to congenital heart defects. Efforts to reduce the prevalence of these devastating abnormalities demonstrates the effectiveness of the translation of basic science and population research to health care practices, and from practice to public policy.
Chronic early stress has been linked to behavioral and emotional problems in childhood as well as mental and physical illness later in life.
Early vocabulary development is an important part of early brain development and school readiness. Unfortunately, even by 3 years of age, low-income children have vocabularies that are far smaller than children from more affluent families.