Infant Exposure to Violence Can Lead to Adult PTSD: Researchers
Exposure to domestic violence, natural disasters, physical abuse, or community violence, can sometimes result in lifelong health consequences, according to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Researchers believe that, if left untreated, trauma experienced in infancy, such as war and terrorism, exposure to domestic violence, natural disasters, physical abuse, and community violence, can sometimes result in lifelong health consequences, with babies and very young children who experience such things having higher incidences of anxiety disorders or depression that can persist into adulthood if left untreated, reports the Washington Post.
A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that, by age 16, more than two in three children had said they had experienced a traumatic event.
Moreover, the Task Force of the World Association for Infant Mental Health found that rates of mental health disorders in infancy (which generally includes birth to age 3) are comparable to that of older children and adolescents.
One small study of 1-year-olds found that 44 percent of those who had witnessed severe violence against their mother by an intimate partner showed symptoms of trauma afterward, such as increased arousal, increased aggression or an interference with normal infant development.
Caregivers can be key in buffering small children from the effects of trauma by how they react, say researchers, with one stating that if a child has a significant trauma before age 2.
Following the trauma “the baby has the powerful protective factors of consistent safety, love and security; there is a decreased likelihood of having mental health problems.”
