导读:不要由于孩子小就不关心他们，小心会干扰他们的大脑发育
Over that period, the number of infant deaths has droped sharply -- from about 12 million to six million worldwide.Infant child mortality has been cut thanks to billions of dollars in aid and the work of many countries.
在这20年里，婴儿死亡人数大幅度降低了在世界范围内，从1200万降到了600万。由于数十亿USD的救助和各国政府的努力，婴儿死亡率才能像如此降低。
However, a group of experts say that is not enough.For children to grow and develop fully, they need more than a nutritious diet and access to medicine.
但，一些专家说这还不够。要想让儿童全方位成长和进步，他们需要更有营养的菜谱和更多就诊的渠道。
That is the opinion of a team of social scientists and public health experts.They found that about 200 million children are failing to meet their developmental potential each year.What is lacking, the experts say, is social interaction with the children and involvement by their caretakers.
这是一个社会科学家和公共卫生专家团队的看法。他们发现，每年都有2亿儿童没能开发出他们的进步潜力。专家们说，他们缺少的就是儿童的社会性互动和其监护人的参与。
The U.S. National Academy of medicine set up the group of 32 academic experts.They provide strong evidence that just as a poor diet can harm children, violence and lack of care can damage a childs brain.
美国国家医学掌握打造了这个32人的专家学者队伍。他们提供了有力的证据，证明了暴力与缺爱、缺少营养的菜谱一样伤害孩子的大脑。
And that, they say, leads to physical and social stunting, even when aid programs are available.Stunting is when a person fails to grow and develop normally.
他们说，这致使身体和社交上的进步停滞，即使是援助项目到位了也会这样。进步停滞指的是一个人不可以正常成长和进步的状况。
Neil Boothby is with the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia university in New York.He likens social interaction to "investing in young children.He adds that "its vital to ensuring international peace and security."
尼尔布茨比在纽约哥伦比亚大学梅尔曼公共卫生学院工作。他把社会性互动比作给幼儿投资。他补充说，这对于保证国际和平与安全是至关要紧的。
Boothby says that providing good, positive social interactions is as big a part of development as providing food and water.And these positive social interactions must be consistent and not, what he calls, episodic.
布茨比说，提供优良且积极的社会性互动是进步的要紧一环，和提供水和食物同等要紧。这类积极的社会性互动需要得是连贯的，用他的话说，不可以断断续续的。
He calls the wiring in the brain, circuitry.And he calls the structure of the brain, brain architecture.Here is Boothby.This becomes part of actually strengthening the circuitry in the brain.When the response isnt there, or its episodically there, then same circuitry, that same brain architecture is weakened.So it is not just micronutrient, it is also social care.
他把大脑中的线路叫作回路。他还把大脑的结构称为大脑构架。以下是布茨比的原话。这是切实加大回路的要紧一环。假如没如此的响应，或者响应是断断续续的，那样相同的回路、相同的大脑构架就会减弱。所以不止是微量营养素，社会关怀也要跟上。
Boothby says studies have shown that international aid programs alone are not enough to help children reach their full ability.The Columbia University researcher just returned from Uganda.In that country, he says, more than a third of the population suffers from stunting.Signs of stunting include smaller physical growth and lower than average scores on intelligence tests.
布茨比说研究已经证明，国际援助计划本身并不足以帮助儿童全方位进步。这位来自哥伦比亚大学的研究职员刚刚从乌干达回来。他说，在那个国家，超越三分之一的人口受困于进步停滞。进步停滞的标志包含较小的身体成长和智商测验低于平均分。
For example, I met with some parents on this last trip.Fathers were saying, Ah, you know I dont really engage with the child until she or he is three months old because theyre too little.I mean thats counter to what they should be doing because holding, talking, you know, caressing, etc., is all part of brain health.
譬如，我这趟去乌干达见到了一些爸爸妈妈。爸爸们说，啊，孩子们三个月大之前我都不如何管他们，由于太小了。我是说，他们不应该这么做，由于你了解，抱孩子、交谈还有抚摸等等都是大脑健康的一部分。
The paper, says Boothby, is a call for social interaction to be added to the list of health and nutrition assistance programs and concerns.You know, we teach parents when they go to clinics about water and sanitation.We teach them about the kinds of foods children should eat.Why arent we teaching them the things that make brains grow?
你了解，大家在爸爸妈妈们去诊所的时候教他们关于水和卫生的常识。大家教他们关于孩子应该吃哪种食物的常识。为何大家不可以教他们关于大脑成长的常识呢？
Boothby adds it is time for international aid policies to catch up with scientific research.Aid policies, he says, must combine the neurobiology of caring with other forms of assistance.
布茨比说，国际援助政策已经到了需要赶上科研成就脚步的时候了。他说，援助政策需要把婴幼儿教育的神经生物学和其他形式的援助结合起来。
