Applying the Intelligence of Play
An Invitational Symposium

Bonding, Play & The Developing Human Brain
James W. Prescott, Ph.D.
Institute of Humanistic Science

Summary
Safety, close physical contact, affection and bonding play a critical role in early brain development. This early foundation creates patterns which result in life-long patterns of learning and play or for self-defense and its implicit violence. Dr. Prescott is a brain specialist whose fifteen years of research at the National Institute of Child Development & Health documented how early mother/infant/family bonds establish social/biological roots of affection or violence.
Scientific breakthroughs over the past quarter of a century have established the critical role of Mother Love for the normal development and functioning of the infant/child's brain and thus, the future of the child in all of its complexities. We need to recognize and emphasize that the brain is the organ of behavior, feelings/emotions, intelligence, creativity and values. How the brain is encoded during the formative periods of brain development establish life-long patterns for peace or for violence; for love or for hate; for mental excellence or mental mediocrity; for creative social harmony or for social alienation and discord.

The developmental neuropsychological and neurobiological sciences have discovered that sensory stimulation, which act like nutrients, is essential for the normal development of the brain in both structure and function. Without adequate sensory stimulation during the formative periods of brain development, from all sensory modalities, brain cells either do not develop or develop with malformed cells.

When the emotional-social senses of body touch, movement and smell of the infant/child's brain are not sufficiently stimulated, developmental brain abnormalities result. These abnormalities translate into the behavioral disorders of depression, social alienation, chronic stimulus-seeking behaviors (includes drug/chemical stimulation), impulse dyscontrol and violence (self-mutilation, suicide, assaultive behaviors and homicide).

Sensory stimulation of the infant/child's emotional senses by the body of the mother is known as physical affectional bonding and results in the bonded child and the bonded adult. The absence of such physical affectional bonding produces the unbonded child who typically becomes the anti-social, violent, sociopathic and psychopathic adolescent and adult of tomorrow.

There is another way that Mother Love influences brain development and thus the future of the child and of society. Society has yet to become fully aware that human breast milk contains nutrients and biochemical substances that are essential for the normal development of the infant/child brain but which are absent in formula milk. The immunological protection of the newborn conferred by mother's breastmilk is well known, as its essential role for the development of the infant's own immunological system which does not mature until age 5-6 years. It is for good reason that the World Health Organization has recommended breastfeeding for "two years and beyond".

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The developing human brain however, remains immature well beyond 5-6 years. For this reason the amino acid tryptophan, richly present in colostrum and breastmilk but absent in formula milk, assumes great significance. Numerous studies have linked depression, impulse dyscontrol and violence with low levels of brain serotonin. Mounting evidence suggests that sensory deprivation of physical affection and lack of breastfeeding, a critical source of -tryptophan - which is converted into brain serotonin, predisposed the developing brain of the infant/child to depression, social alienation, impulse dyscontrol, violence and associated chemical (drug) stimulus-seeking behaviors. For this reason it is more important than ever before to consider formula milk for infants injurious to normal brain development of the infant/child.

International research supports the SAD (Somatosensory Affectional Deprivation) theory of depression, alienation. violence and substance abuse, which postulates that the sensory systems of BODY MOVEMENT conveys primarily the psychological state of BASIC TRUST; that BODY TOUCH conveys primarily the psychological state of PHYSICAL AFFECTION; and that BODY SMELL (OLFACTION) conveys primarily the psychological state of INTIMACY, particularly sexual intimacy in the adult male-female relationship.

A lack of stimulation of these sensory systems during infancy and early childhood retard the development of the physical brain structures needed to experience and express BASIC TRUST, PHYSICAL AFFECTION and INTIMACY which are essential for creative learning, intelligent play and human love. Stated differently, it is well recognized that the depressed, hyperactive/hyperactive and alienated child is significantly impaired in its social and cognitive learning abilities and potentials.

The relationship between affectional bonding in the mother-infant relationship and adult peaceful and violent behaviors was confirmed in a study of 49 primitive cultures. It was possible to predict with 80% accuracy the peaceful or violent nature of these cultures from the single variable of mother-infant bonding, as measured by carrying the newborn/infant on the body of the mother throughout the day. The peaceful or violent nature of the remaining cultures was accurately predicted based upon whether adolescent sexuality was permitted or punished.

A child's potential cannot be achieved without first building the brain structures which will permit that child, and the future adult, to respond fully and creatively to the challenges of the 21st Century and beyond. BASIC TRUST, PHYSICAL AFFECTION and INTIMACY, begin with mother and father and are the foundations upon which individual human potential is based and therefore the future of homo sapiens itself.

James W. Prescott, Ph.D. is a developmental neuropsychologist and cross-cultural psychologist who has devoted his professional life to the study of the developmental origins of peaceful and violent behaviors. He was formerly Health Scientist Administrator, Developmental Behavioral Biology Program, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH and is currently Director, Institute of Humanistic Science, Newport Beach, CA.
For a detailed reference see: Prescott, James W. (1996). The Origins of Human Love and Violence. Pre- and Perinatal Psychology Journal. Vol 10, No.3, pp.143-187. (Spring).