Science Explains Why Humans Cannot Remember Their Earliest Years

Infantile amnesia is a universal phenomenon in which people are unable to recall memories from their earliest years of life. While babies are capable of forming lasting memories, adults consistently struggle to access them later on. The hippocampus, along with developing neural connections in the brain, plays a central role in the formation of these early memories. Ongoing brain development throughout childhood further affects how long such memories remain retrievable. Scientists now have a clearer understanding of why these formative experiences fade from conscious recall.