Given that human infants are almost fully reliant on caregivers for survival, the presence of parents who provide sensitive, responsive care support infants and young children in developing the foundation for optimal biological functioning. Conversely, when parents are unavailable or insensitive, there are consequences for infants’ and children’s attachment and neurobiological development. In this paper, we describe effects of inadequate parenting on children’s neurobiological and behavioral development, with a focus on developing capacities for executive functioning, emotion regulation, and other important cognitive-affective processes. Most prior research has examined correlational associations among these constructs. Given that interventions tested through randomized clinical trials allow for causal inferences, we review longitudinal intervention effects on children’s biobehavioral and cognitive-affective outcomes. In particular, we provide an overview of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a study in which children were randomized to continue in orphanage care (typically the most extreme condition of privation) or were placed into the homes of trained, supported foster parents. We also discuss findings regarding Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up, an intervention enhancing sensitivity among high-risk parents. We conclude by suggesting future directions for research in this area.

鉴于人类婴儿几乎完全依赖照顾者生存，提供敏感、反应灵敏的照顾的父母的存在支持婴儿和幼儿发展最佳生物功能的基础。相反，当父母不在或不敏感时，会对婴儿和儿童的依恋和神经生物学发展产生影响。在本文中，我们描述了不适当的养育对儿童神经生物学和行为发展的影响，重点是发展执行功能、情绪调节和其他重要的认知-情感过程的能力。大多数先前的研究已经检查了这些结构之间的相关关联。鉴于通过随机临床试验测试的干预措施允许因果推断，我们回顾了纵向干预对儿童生物行为和认知情感结果的影响。特别是，我们提供了布加勒斯特早期干预项目的概述，这是一项研究，在该研究中，儿童被随机分配继续接受孤儿院护理（通常是最极端的贫困条件）或被安置在训练有素、受支持的养父母的家中。我们还讨论了关于依恋和生物行为追赶的发现，这是一种提高高危父母敏感性的干预措施。最后，我们提出了该领域研究的未来方向。一项研究，其中儿童被随机分配继续接受孤儿院护理（通常是最极端的贫困条件）或被安置在训练有素、受支持的养父母的家中。我们还讨论了关于依恋和生物行为追赶的发现，这是一种提高高危父母敏感性的干预措施。最后，我们提出了该领域研究的未来方向。一项研究，其中儿童被随机分配继续接受孤儿院护理（通常是最极端的贫困条件）或被安置在训练有素、受支持的养父母的家中。我们还讨论了关于依恋和生物行为追赶的发现，这是一种提高高危父母敏感性的干预措施。最后，我们提出了该领域研究的未来方向。