While animal data would suggest that institutional rearing would lead to reduced hippocampal volume, some investigators have suggested that such effects may not become evident in humans until later in life.18 Consistent with this, decreased hippocampal volumes have been found in numerous studies of adults who experienced high levels of
childhood stress /
trauma.19, 20 In spite of this
hypothesized delayed hippocampal effect, a positive impact of
early supportive parenting on hippocampal development has been detected as
early as school age.21