Not all children are treated equally in the same institution. Some children are prenatally exposed to risk factors. Prenatal medical care, nutrition, stress, exposure to toxic substances or environments, and genetics influence the developing neonate. Some children are born with a predisposition to be cranky, sickly, or colicky. Some children are immediately responsive to any stimulus or person, while others are more lethargic or less responsive.
Some children are physically more attractive than other children.
These factors influence how caregivers respond to these children. At the same time, if a child responds easily when spoken to or touched, and the caregiver gets some satisfaction from the response, the child receives more attention and responds even more positively. Finally, children who are physically attractive receive more attention than their less attractive counterparts. Also, children with obvious physical handicaps may receive less attention if they are placed with children who have no apparent handicaps. The institution itself places children at-risk.