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The effects of toxic stress on children
Children with toxic stress has become a public health problem. It’s defined as the extreme, frequent or extensive activation of stress that causes anxiety in children and can have negative consequences for their physical and mental health. Toxic stress in children occurs when a child is repeatedly exposed to stressful situations such as abuse, neglect and household dysfunctions without the presence and support of an adult who buffers the experience. Experiences like these are called ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences). Toxic stress effects children in an unhealthy way, it raises stress levels resulting in the release of stress related hormones.

biological effects
Toxic stress in young children has an effect on neural, hormonal and immune systems, which in turn causes mental and physical health issues Though brain development and connectivity is strongly influenced by genes, the environment plays a role in shaping the brain as well. When neural pathways are used frequently, the connectivity improves making it easier to use. Therefore, when a child experiences a lot of stress, this pathway becomes easy to use and later in life they will have a heightened stress response. Specifically children are highly sensitive for the biological effects, since toxic stress affects children in their developmental period. During this time a child’s brain is very plastical and since it is still developing, the effects of toxic stress may stay on the long term, because the body alters itself to the stress situation. The brain of a child who has developed toxic stress early in life is physically smaller than that of a healthy child, the brain structure differs, this causes problems in learning and memory.

effects on the nervous system
It is found that prolonged exposure to toxic stress in children, as a result of early life adversity, alters structural and functional stress-sensitive regions of the brain. For example it could result in alterations in the amygdala and the hippocampal area’s and the prefrontal cortex. These regions are associated with regulating the SAM and HPA axes, which play an important role in the body’s way of dealing with stress, for example by influencing the heart rate, alertness and the regulation of fight or flight responses.

effects on the endocrine system
Toxic stress influences hormones. It can result in chronic activation of the HPA axis, which results in increased CRH levels, raised afternoon cortisol levels, and decrease of morning cortisol levels. In the long term, it is possible that HPA hyperactivity decreases, and in severe cases of toxic stress it is possible that the activity of the HPA axis decreases so much that there is a lack of hormonal levels or the hormonal levels are very low.

effects in the immune system
When the HPA axis is chronically dysregulated, the immune system will be affected too. This is, because the responses of the immune system are influenced by glucocorticoids, which is a hormone that is active in making glucose and it is an stress hormone: in stressful situations there will be more glucocorticoids. Another very important substance of the immune system is the molecule cykotine, which is a molecule that regulates immunity and is very important for the development and metabolism of most organ systems. When there is chronically or severe toxic stress, there can be a dysregulation of the immune system and these corresponding hormones and molecules

Social Effects
The exposure to toxic stress in children can also result in anxiety disorders and social skill deficits. Because neural pathways are so plastic in early life, toxic stress creates a problem in the use of the stress response. Children will respond to quickly, extremely and for to long when they detect a possible threat. Where a healthy child sees a neutral face, a child with toxic stress might see a angry face and panic.

The effects of toxic stress on adults
Adults who either experienced toxic stress as a child or later in life are impacted heavily as well. One consequence of toxic stress is a more rapidly aging process, these adults will, for example, have problems with memory.

Resulting diseases
People with toxic stress are at higher risk to develop cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, stroke and asthma. Not only that, the elevated stress response can be the underlying cause of depression, alcoholism and drug abuse. These effects unfortunately will be a source of stress for any future child this person might have, consequently passing the toxic stress on to the child.