It’s about time! The American Academy of Pediatrics created a policy statement on Early Childhood Adversity, Toxic Stress, and the Role of the Pediatrician: Translating Developmental Science Into Lifelong Health on January 2012. The organization is calling this an ecobiodevelopmental meaning that the environment can contribute to the development of the child. This statement recognizes that pediatricians need to take an active role in helping parents identify toxic stress and provide resources for them to help reduce the effects and minimize the risks. The only thing we wish would have been added is the fact that toxic stress can impact the child beginning in PREGNANCY! It’s a start!
Article of Toxic stress by AAP: http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/pediatrics;129/1/e232?rss=1
