Science Finds First 3 Years Shape Adult Bonds Despite Infantile Amnesia
Updated
Updated · Vox.com · Aug 16
Science Finds First 3 Years Shape Adult Bonds Despite Infantile Amnesia
1 articles · Updated · Vox.com · Aug 16
Summary
Early experiences still shape adult relationships even when people cannot recall events before age 3 or 4, with researchers saying babies retain impressions of safety, love and attachment.
MRI work from Columbia's Tristan Yates found babies looked longer at previously seen images, suggesting the hippocampus can form specific memories over at least a few minutes.
Dana Suskind said the first 3 years build 85% of the brain's physical structure, with about 1 million new neural connections forming each second through caregiver interaction.
That helps explain infantile amnesia: scientists think infants may prioritize learning broad skills and patterns—such as language, routines and social expectations—over storing lasting autobiographical memories.
The findings reinforce why responsive, imperfect caregiving matters, because early back-and-forth, repair after missteps and rich language can leave durable developmental effects long after explicit memories fade.