If someone were to say there was a way to prevent chronic diseases, addiction and mental health disorders, as well as behavioral and learning disabilities, we would say “not in our lifetime.” And, truth be told, it might just take a generation or two, but the possibility exists.

There are two sayings that are prescient to the above concerns. The Gaelic saying “it is not easy to straighten in the oak, the crook that grew in the sapling,” and Thoreau’s statement that “for every thousand beating at the leaves of evil, we have one striking at the root.”

My wife does not like me to use the word “devolution,” but in the light of progressive societal concerns, it is a most worrisome consideration. Certainly, there are many good things that are happening in our communities and charity and goodwill abound. There are also hard-working, good kids with bright futures who give us hope. But, can these positive attributes offset the trends that cause us concern?

There are plenty of disturbing signs, not the least being the opioid epidemic and substance abuse, a burgeoning prison system, gun violence, suicides, the loss of a moral compass in our political system, the loss of a stable family system with adolescents misguiding their peers when adults aren’t there for support and guidance.

It is known that chronic fear, anger and dysfunction in more and more children will cause alterations in the chemical profile encoded in genes. Epigenetics will play a large role in our future.

To continue to evolve, to grow and to thrive, we need to focus and educate on the “root” of our problems: dysfunction in our early beginnings and the impact of the environment on brain development in gestation, birth and infancy. We now know that 95 percent of the brain will develop in this period and that who we become will be determined by the relationship between the primary provider and the brain.

Much is now finally being said on the effect of adverse childhood events and the impact they have on our “sapling” years. The fact that there is a two- to fivefold increase in chronic disease states, a six- to 12-fold increase in mental illness and addiction disorders and a reported 32-fold increase in learning disabilities and behavioral disorders in adults who had dysfunction in their first three years, makes it imperative that we make this period our highest priority. It is a child’s right that each be given a good start.

“Anyone that is involved with raising and caring for a child needs to be aware of the relationship between a caring environment and the development of the brain.”

Babies are a reflection of the world in which they develop. The brain organizes to reflect the environment. Almost every disorder and social problem that has been mentioned has its genesis in this critical period when the core of an individual’s ability to think, feel and relate to others is formed.

If the child is raised in an environment of toxic stress or indifference, stress hormones will cause damage and pruning of the critical pathways for empathy and self-regulation. Bad habits form to calm the inner storms, school becomes a difficult, if not impossible, challenge and disregard for other’s feelings undermines human relationships. The children who break our hearts for their unfortunate beginnings will become marginalized teenagers and adults who stress our legal, social and health systems.

The nurturers of our children, be they parents, extended family, friends or paid caregivers, need the tools, skills, information and social valuing to adequately do their job. Perinatal home visitation is a vital component. Educational opportunities in hospital delivery wards, medical clinics, relief nurseries, health departments and even in school curriculums are essential in the realm of prevention.

Punitive measures miss the mark. Compassion and understanding are necessary if we are to evolve as a thriving, humane society.

— Dr. Bud Beamer lives in Madras.