Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on.

Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime

How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime

Addressing childhood trauma as a public health crisis can transform prevention and treatment, fostering a healthier future.

Childhood trauma links to severe health outcomes; stress endured early can triple risks of heart disease and lung cancer.

Screening for adverse childhood experiences could revolutionize pediatric medicine by preventing lifelong health issues.