It has been known for decades that early 'stressful' experiences can have lasting effects on both the biology and behaviour of laboratory animals. A Harvard University group has reported on an analysis they carried out on some 54 studies in which children had been exposed to violence or trauma and biological measures were tracked in development (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/aug/03/children-who-suffer-violence-or-trauma-age-faster-study-finds). They confirmed that these early challenges (but not deprivation) appeared to accelerate cellular ageing. This type of exposure also altered the parts of the brain that were important in processing social and emotional information (perhaps a coping mechanism?) and even caused an earlier onset of puberty. The team clearly believe that accelerated ageing in children can also lead to both physical and mental disease in later life. Children growing up in war zones or in areas with prolonged civil unrest seem to be especially at risk.
No comments:
Post a Comment