“Toxic stress” early in life -- perhaps even before birth – may be the most widespread danger faced by children. The American Academy of Pediatrics is issuing a landmark warning stating that, based on the results of two decades’ worth of scientific research, it is now clear that toxic stress can damage children for life.
Toxic stress can arise from parental abuse of alcohol or drugs, from threats or beatings, or from chronic neglect. Affection seems to ameliorate the effects of toxic stress, suggesting that the problem may occur when a child senses persistent threats, but no protector. The stress can cause stress hormones like cortisol to disrupt the metabolism of a child’s body, or the architecture of a child’s brain. And if poverty helps cause the stress, the resultant problems can make poverty more difficult to overcome.
According to the New York Times:
“The science is still accumulating. But a compelling message from biology is that if we want to chip away at poverty and improve educational and health outcomes, we have to start earlier. For many children, damage has been suffered before the first day of school.”