Childhood Trauma Can Shorten Life Span

The Amount of Childhood Trauma Experiences or ( ACE’s) Adverse Childhood Experiences in a child’s life can determine the life span and amount of medical problems experienced in adults.

This is a scary but truthful reality. Children who are exposed to abuse and trauma may develop what is called 'a heightened stress response'. This can impact their ability to regulate their emotions, lead to sleep difficulties, lower immune function, and increase the risk of a number of physical illnesses throughout adulthood.

An Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) is defined as experiencing any of the following categories of abuse, neglect, or loss prior to age 18:

  • Physical abuse by a parent

  • Emotional abuse by a parent

  • Sexual abuse by anyone

  • Growing up with an alcohol and/or drug abuser in the household

  • Experiencing the incarceration of a household member

  • Living with a family member experiencing mental illness

  • Domestic violence

  • Loss of a parent

  • Emotional neglect

  • Physical neglect

The ACE Study

Beginning in 1994, the "adverse childhood experiences" (ACE) Study, a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente assessed the relationship between adult health risk behaviors and childhood abuse and household dysfunction.

  • The study began with a sample of 9,508 individuals representing a 70.5% response rate.

  • Respondents were given a score of one for each ACE category that they experienced.

Findings showed that people who experienced four or more adverse childhood events had:

  • increased risk for smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse

  • increased risk for depression and suicide attempts

  • poor self-rated health

  • 50 or more sexual partners

  • greater likelihood of sexually transmitted disease

  • challenges with physical inactivity, and severe obesity

A follow-up sample combined with baseline data for a total sample of 17,337. Additional findings show that ACE Score is associated with:

  • likelihood of attempted suicide across the lifespan

  • increased risk for broken bones

  • heart disease

  • lung disease

  • liver disease

  • multiple types of cancer

  • ACE Score is also correlated with:


What does this all mean?

Parents you can drastically improve your children’s life span and physical and mental well being in the following ways:

  1. Create a safe, secure home.

  2. Develop good self care, help yourself manage your emotions so your children do not experience hostility at home.

  3. Learn positive parenting skills

  4. Develop social support system.

  5. Role Model to children healthy coping strategies.

  6. If you use substances, make sureit isn’t affecting your parenting.

  7. Attend support groups.

  8. Attend counseling.

  9. Enroll child in play therapy.

  10. Support child in emotional needs.

    Want to find out your ACE score? Take the quiz here: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/02/733896346/californias-first-surgeon-general-spotlights-health-risks-of-childhood-adversity

    If you are someone you love have experienced childhood trauma, its not too late, you can get the help you need to rise above all of this. Contact me at ( 720) 795-4914 to discuss this.