Everyone experiences stress. Even babies in the womb have stress. A certain amount of stress is normal and part of life. When children experience stress they learn coping skills and how to adjust to different situations. It is important for parents and other adults to help children learn to cope with stress in a way that is emotionally and physically appropriate.
Stress is no longer good for a child when it gets to the point where they are no longer able to manage it in a healthy way. If the stress is severe or lasts for a long period of time, it can result in both short-term and long-term harmful health problems. Too much stress can cause early brain development to be interrupted. It can also harm the immune and nervous systems. Stress in children can result in health troubles later on such as eating disorders, cancer, alcoholism, heart disease, depression, and other chronic disease.
Kinds of Stress
There are three kinds of stress identified by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.
- Positive stress happens from brief occurrences. Some examples include when children meet new people, loose a toy, go to a new daycare, or get a shot. Positive stress results in elevated heart rate and rise in hormone levels. Children cope with positive stress when they have an adult that cares about them and provides support. There is another level of positive stress that is tolerable stress. This is when there is a bad experience that is more extreme, but still is only for a short period of time. Tolerable stress may include separation or divorce of parents, death of a loved one, a scary accident, or a natural disaster. Tolerable stress can become positive stress when they learn to cope and is supported by loving adults. It can however, lead to negative or toxic stress if they lack the support and coping skills.
- Toxic stress comes from extreme experiences that happen over weeks, months or years. A prime example is this is when a child is abused or neglected. Mistreatment is not something that a child can deal with themselves. As they are stressed over a long time, they incur permanent changes in their brain development. Toxic stress can be reduced as children have the support of adults who care for them. If enough support happens, it is possible for their stress system to return to a normal level.
How Toxic Stress Effects Brain Development in Children
Stress management is affected by hormones and brain circuits. Stress in a child, or any person, causes the release of hormones. When the body is subjected to continued hormone exposure, it causes certain brain impairments such as:
- Poor connection in brain circuits which may lead to a smaller brain.
- Developing brain circuits are susceptible to toxic stress. Toxic stress during early childhood could result in a decreased tolerance for stress, causing the child to overreact to stress for the rest of their life.
- Stress hormones, such as cortisol can cause a decrease in the immune response in the body. A weakened immune system can lead to chronic health problems and disease.
- Constant increased levels of cortisol will harm the brain region called the hippocampus that oversees memory and learning. This damage will continue through the life of the child.
How Toxic Stress Effects Adults
Studies indicate that stress as a child has a direct relation to their adult health. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study documents specific connection:
- Violence- This is linked to child abuse and neglect as well as ongoing intimate partner violence.
- At risk behaviors and adult health issues.
The research by ACE studied over 17,000 adults who answered a questionnaire. The questions asked for information on family dysfunction, and past abuse and neglect. It also questioned their present health and behaviors. Of particular interest to the researchers were the following: - Abuse
• Sexual
• Emotional
• Physical - Neglect
• Physical
• Emotional - Family dysfunction
• Mental illness in home
• Parents divorced or separated
• Mother abused
• Substance abuse in home
• Family member in jail - Results of ACE Study
These results have been widely publicized in scientific journals. Some of the most general findings are:- Neglect, abuse, or other traumatic experiences during childhood are common.
- Nearly two-thirds of adults in the study experienced at least one adverse experience during childhood. Over 20 percent had three or more adverse childhood experiences.
There are both long- and short-term affects of these adverse experiences in childhood. Those who experience more of these traumas as a child, have a higher chance of the developing some of the following:
- Depression
- Ischemic heart disease
- Alcoholism
- Fetal death
- Illegal drug use
- Chronic pulmonary disease
- Smoking
- Unintended pregnancies
- Chance of intimate partner violence
- Liver disease
- Suicide attempts
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Multiple sexual partners
How Mistreatment of Children Relates to Behavior and Health
- Sexually abused children had a higher risk of other ACE.
- 16% of men and 25% of women were sexually abused as children.
- Those who experienced severe, long term, and frequent child abuse had higher ACE score than those who had a decrease in their experience.
- People who were sexually abused as a child were twice as more likely to attempt suicide.
- Men who experienced recurrent sexual or physical abuse, or witness intimate partner violence were more likely to be connected to a teenage pregnancy.
- Women who had four or more incidences of abuse as a child were one and a half times more liable to experience an unintended pregnancy before they are twenty years of age.
- Both women and men who were sexually abused as children had a higher chance of having marital problems or marrying an alcoholic.
No comments