In Brief: The Science of Neglect

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

This 6-minute video from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University explains the importance of human interaction with a caregiver to an infant’s brain development and the dangers of neglect to a child’s cognitive development, particularly the neglect that occurs in institutional settings. The video identifies four types of unresponsive care which can pose a potential threat to children’s development: (1) Occasional Inattention, (2) Chronic Under-Stimulation, (3) Severe Neglect in a Family Context, and (4) Severe Neglect in an Institutional Setting.

View the accompanying working paper