The one stressor I chose was that of a set of twins that I taught in Head Start. twin boys, very rambunctious, were always fighting, biting, scratching each other. I had to remove certain toys from the classroom until I could teach them how to be safe. ex: dramatic play, in the kitchen area, the boys would take the utensil, the knives in particular and would shove them down in front of the pull-ups and would try and stab each other. The brooms and mop, they would use them as swords. The boys were constipated a lot, one morning one of the twins came in with a black eye. I spoke with mom and she said over the weekend the boys where horsing around and one of the threw a book and it caught the other twin just below the eye. I did not quite believe that story, but I documented, went to the Ed. Coordinator and told her I felt the need to make a CPS complaint. I filed the complaint, CPS went to the home to find that the mother was being abused by the father, and there was no food in the house except for pasta. The boys were only doing what they saw in the home. The father was removed, and so were the boys and the mother went to counseling. Although I was afraid, it was to best call I could have made and it saved those boys lives.
In its toxic form, stress affects
behavior and physical health, and we need to translate this knowledge into
public policies that can prevent it.
The growing
epidemic of domestic violence is another key factor in the early childhood
stress equation. Many people believe children are not affected by domestic
violence and stressful environments until they are verbal, and over the age of
3 or 4. Nothing could be further from the truth. Research tells us stress in utero
and in the first months and years of life has lasting consequences on a
developing child.
The Dangerous Part of Stress is the Physical Response: In this
context, “stress” doesn't refer to a worried or anxious state of mind, but
rather to the body’s physical responses to negative circumstances. When a situation
is perceived as challenging or threatening, the body responds with a series of
chemical reactions that affect heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism and other
functions. These temporary adjustments help us adapt and survive, but when they
happen too frequently or last too long they can produce lifelong chronic
disease.
For children,
whose bodies and minds are still growing, a well-tuned stress response system
is especially important. High levels of early stress have been linked to
impaired behavioral and emotional development as well as numerous health
consequences later in life, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular
disease, obesity and diabetes. Such consequences cost our society in many ways.
Stress is not Always Dangerous: Positive stress
is a normal part of learning and development. As children learn to cope with
frustration, overcome obstacles and confront challenges, they will experience a
certain amount of stress. This level of stress is usually safe and manageable,
especially if a child has the support of a healthy home environment.
Toxic Stress During Pregnancy Affects the Baby
The brain is the primary stress organ: It is
responsible for activating, monitoring and shutting down the body’s reactions
to stress. Infants’ developing brains are particularly vulnerable; babies are
affected by stress even in the protective environment of the womb. Since
maternal cortisol levels affect the developing fetus, a mother’s level of
stress is directly related to the well-being of her baby.
References:
http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/articles/editorials/stress-has-lasting-effect-on-childs-development
