Toxic Stress Can Wreak Havoc on Children

Persistent emotional difficulties can make effective parenting hard, and cause long-lasting problems for a child's brain development.

We all face stress at some point in our lives. Job pressures, health problems and relationship difficulties are only a few of the stress-producing circumstances that affect most of us at one time or another.

Regardless of its source, stress can be understood as the body's alarm system, and a certain amount of it is a necessary part of life. When a challenge or threat occurs, the brain sets off a series of physical changes throughout the body that help us deal with difficult situations. But when our stress alarm goes off too often or for too long, these same processes produce wear and tear on the body.

We often overlook the fact that stress also affects infants and young children. In fact, children are even more vulnerable than adults. They have fewer skills for dealing with adversity, and their still-developing minds and bodies are more sensitive to the negative effects of unhealthy levels of stress.

Different types of stress have different effects on brain development in young children. Positive or normal stress can actually enhance brain development. (Think, for example, of the difficulty involved in mastering new tasks and skills such as learning to walk and talk.) A second type is short-term, manageable stress, sometimes called tolerable stress. This kind of stress is often linked to traumatic family events like divorce or illness. These can represent significant emotional challenges for a child, but with proper care and support there is no harm to the developing brain and the child is able to adapt successfully.

Persistent, long-term stress, however, is a different matter. This kind of stress -- often referred to as toxic stress -- can have serious and long-lasting effects on brain development. Toxic stress can be the result of neglect, maltreatment, parental substance abuse, chronic poverty or chronic illness.

We cannot shield families and their children from every source of stress, but we can help at-risk families protect themselves from toxic stress and its damaging effects. Assisting families with basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter can substantially reduce the worries and fears that make effective parenting difficult.

Just as important, improving parents' ability to cope with stress can promote strong and healthy bonds between parents and children. Positive relationships and emotional support buffer children from the effects of stress. Simple activities such as feeding, diapering, bathing and dressing can be special moments if they include lots of eye contact and warm words. Interactions like these tell a child that the world is a safe place and that someone will respond to his or her needs.

Our community boasts numerous programs that are promoting well-being and resilience among families endangered by toxic stress. Early Head Start, Head Start, the Blues Project and other home- and center-based programs work with children and their parents to foster supportive relationships and positive outcomes.

Hope House is a Memphis child care center for children who are infected with HIV/AIDS or who have parents who are infected. For these families, toxic stress is a daily threat. Because serious illness is often accompanied by withdrawal and depression, many of our parents have become less involved with their children. The combination of poverty and insufficient parenting can interfere with children's brain development and increase the likelihood of long-term cognitive and emotional difficulties.

The Buddy Program at Hope House is designed to ensure that each child has a caring adult in his or her life. Adult volunteers spend time with Hope House children each week, and although the sessions last only an hour, they can have powerful results: Even the most troubled children have shown significant improvement.

The stress of poverty and chronic illness can be overwhelming for many families in our community. With the many hassles and hardships that come with poverty, it can be difficult for parents to find the emotional energy to create an environment for children that enhances the healthy social and emotional development of the child.

Programs like Hope House are making a difference for at-risk families in stressful environments, but our community needs to dedicate more resources to satisfy the growing need. It is also important to promote awareness of the need for parenting support. Even families in which toxic stress is not a daily reality can benefit from parenting advice and information.

Betty Dupont is executive director of Hope House, an agency that serves preschool-aged children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

This is one in a series of monthly guest columns on the importance of public/private investment in early childhood. For more information, call The Urban Child Institute at 385-4233 or visit theurbanchildinstitute.org.

Originally appeared in The Commercial Appeal http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/dec/12/guest-column-toxic-stress-can-wreak-havoc-on/