The lasting impact that family separation can have on children's brains

CHICAGO – Doctors have long known that the separation of families and other traumatic events can harm the well-being of children. More recent research has shed light on how this can happen: severe early adversity can lead to brain changes and "toxic stress" leading to lasting psychological and physical health problems

. The Trump administration separated 2,300 children from the adults they were traveling with and sent them to shelters and hostels across the country, according to the government. The administration has 30 days to reunite families, but it is unclear if it can meet this deadline.

Here is what the evidence shows that this kind of separation can do and how some experts think immigrant children may be in danger.

The Stress Response

Stress is a normal response to difficult or threatening circumstances that cause the brain to trigger the body's "fight or flight" mode. Stress hormones and chemicals are released that increase heart rate, blood pressure, alertness, and energy levels.

Levels normally return to normal when the threat disappears

poverty, natural disasters, family discord or neighborhood violence – the stress system may remain alert, sometimes causing anxiety, behavior problems, stomach aches, sleep problems and other mental and physical symptoms. Feeding the parent or caregiver can help children overcome stress and reduce the risk of lasting harm. A recent American study of toddlers from families living in poverty is one example. Young people who had a strong parenting relationship had lower levels of stress hormones when they arrived at a clinic to get vaccinated than those who did not have that parent tampon.

What is a toxic stress?

Stress, especially when there is no foster parent to help children cope, can cause high levels of stress hormones and internal inflammatory markers, increasing thus the risks of heart disease, diabetes and other health problems.

Some studies have also shown that persistent stress can alter brain structure in regions affecting emotions and regulation behavior. Imaging studies have shown that these areas are smaller than usual in severely traumatized children.

Charles Nelson, a neuroscientist at Harvard University, says children under the age of 3 are at high risk of developing toxic effects. In his studies of imagery, Romanian orphans of school age sent to live with host families had less gray brains than orphans sent to foster families before the age of 2 years .

And migrant children?

Central American children arriving with their families on the southern border of the United States have already endured the trauma of leaving their homes, some after violence or other threats, and have suffered the additional trauma of an arduous journey north. "This may increase their susceptibility to the risks of separation at the border," he said.

Nelson stated that the images he has seen of American detention centers housing children remind him of his research with Romanian children. In a recent research bulletin, Nelson wrote: "The lessons we learned taught us that housing children in similar institutions, with rotating teams and unfavorable relationships between caregivers and children, can cause serious and permanent damage to their minds and bodies. "

" What did science teach us about separation, "he said Wednesday.

What Doctors Say

In 2017, a year before the announcement of the separation policy The Academy of Pediatrics advised against detaining migrant children in detention centers and said they should receive care and treatment for "their well-being to be. "

The academy and several mental health groups have recently denounced the policy of separation in order to overthrow it.The Tuesday order of a federal judge ordering that thousands of families be meeting within 30 days is an important step, said the academy in a joint statement with UNICEF USA, but that will not destroy the trauma of already separated children.Colleen Kraft.

Even if they are finally reunited, these families will need care that is "attentive to raumatisms "to help them cope, says Kraft.

In their statement Wednesday, the US Academy and UNICEF said their organizations are ready to help reunite families and support their needs. Pediatricians across the country are ready to take care of immigrant children when they enter our communities. "

Kraft tried to enter a children's shelter in McAllen, Texas on Wednesday to see what attempts were being made to reunite children and parents." The authorities have diverted it. 39, a visit to the same shelter in April, Kraft saw children who were "strangely silent" and one who was crying inconsolable while the attendants were watching

"The staff in the room did not have the right to take and take it. "It's this kind of nontoxic contact that, according to experts, worsens the effects of traumatic stress.