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A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 30 June 2018

Science Says: How family separation may affect kids’ brains

By LINDSEY TANNER to their minds and bodies.”
AP Medical Writer “This is what science has
CHICAGO (AP) — Doctors taught us about separa-
have long known that sep- tion,” he said Wednesday.
arating families and other WHAT DOCTORS SAY
traumatic events can dam- In 2017, a year before the
age children’s well-being. separation policy was an-
More recent research has nounced, the American
shed some light on how Academy of Pediatrics
that may happen: Severe advised against holding
early adversity may cause migrant children in deten-
brain changes and “toxic tion centers and said they
stress,” resulting in lasting should receive health care
psychological and physical and treatment to “support
health problems. their well-being.”
A “zero-tolerance” immi- The academy and sev-
gration policy announced eral mental health groups
this spring by the Trump recently denounced the
Administration has sepa- separation policy and
rated 2,300 children from cautiously supported last
the adults they were travel- week’s executive order to
ing with and sent them to overturn it.
shelters and foster homes Tuesday’s order from a fed-
across the country, accord- eral judge mandating that
ing to the government. thousands of families be re-
The administration has 30 united within 30 days is an
days to reunite families, but important step, the acad-
it remains unclear whether In this Sunday, June 17, 2018 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, people who emy said in a joint state-
have been taken into custody related to cases of illegal entry into the United States, rest in one of
it can meet that deadline. the cages at a facility in McAllen, Texas. ment with UNICEF USA, but
Here’s what evidence Associated Press it won’t undo the trauma
shows this kind of separa- symptoms. er health problems. arriving with their families separated children have
tion can do and how some Experts believe that con- The science is not settled, at the southern U.S. bor- already faced, said Acad-
experts think immigrant tact with a loving, nurtur- but some studies also have der have already endured emy President Dr. Colleen
children may be at risk. ing parent or caregiver shown that persistent stress the trauma of leaving their Kraft.
THE STRESS RESPONSE can help children weather may alter brain structure in homes, some after violence Even if they are eventually
Stress is a normal response stress and reduce chances regions affecting emotions or other threats, and faced reunited, these families will
to challenging or threat- for lasting ill effects. and regulating behavior. the additional trauma of need “trauma-informed”
ening circumstances that A recent U.S. study of tod- Imaging studies have found an arduous journey north, care to help them cope,
cause the brain to trigger dlers from families living these regions are smaller Nelson said Wednesday. Kraft said.
the body’s “fight or flight” in poverty is an example. than usual in severely trau- “That may increase their In their statement Wednes-
mode. Stress hormones and Youngsters who had a matized children. susceptibility to the hazards day, the academy and
chemicals are released strong parent relationship Harvard University neurosci- of separation at the bor- UNICEF USA said their or-
that increase heart rate, had lower stress-hormone entist Charles Nelson says der,” he said. ganizations “stand ready
blood pressure, alertness levels when they arrived at children younger than 3, Nelson said the images to assist in reunifying fami-
and energy levels. a clinic to get vaccinations with rapidly developing he’s seen of U.S. detention lies and supporting their
Levels typically return to than those without that brains, are most at risk for centers housing children needs. Pediatricians across
normal when the threat parent buffer. the toxic effects of ongoing remind him of his research the country are prepared
passes. WHAT’S TOXIC STRESS? stress. with Romanian children. In to provide care for immi-
When the threat is ongo- Scientists increasingly be- In his imaging studies, a recent research news- grant children as they en-
ing — a result of things like lieve that persistent stress, school-aged Romanian letter, Nelson wrote, “The ter our communities.”
war, famine, poverty, natu- particularly when there’s orphans sent to live with lessons we learned then Kraft attempted to enter a
ral disasters, family discord no nurturing parent to help foster families had brains taught us that housing chil- children’s shelter in McAl-
or neighborhood violence kids cope, can cause stress with less gray matter than dren in institution-like set- len, Texas on Wednesday
— the stress system may hormones and internal in- orphans sent to nurturing tings, with rotating shifts of to see what attempts were
remain on high alert, some- flammatory markers to foster homes before age 2. caregivers and unfavor- being made to reunite
times triggering anxiety, be- smolder at elevated levels, WHAT ABOUT MIGRANT able ratios of caregivers to children and parents but
havior problems, stomach raising risks for later heart CHILDREN? children, may cause severe said authorities turned her
aches, sleep problems and disease, diabetes and oth- Central American children and permanent damage away.
other mental and physical During an April visit to the
same shelter, Kraft saw
children who were “eerily
quiet” and one who was
crying inconsolably while
attendants watched.
“Staff in the room were
not allowed to pick her up
and hold her,” Kraft said.
It’s that kind of absence of
nurturing contact that ex-
perts think worsens the ef-
fects of traumatic stress.q