Childhood stress affects immune system

Childrens emotional environments have widespread repercussions on their health,say US researchers

Stressful experiences can have a long-lasting impact on childrens health,US researchers report. They evaluated the immune systems of teens who had experienced either typical or extremely stressful childhoods,such as physical abuse or time in an orphanage. Specifically,the researchers looked at levels of antibodies against the common and usually latent herpes simplex virus Type-1 (HSV-1).

The virus can cause cold sores and fever blisters. People with a healthy immune system can keep this virus under control and only develop symptoms when their immune system is compromised by stress or illness. But people with a weak immune system may have trouble suppressing HSV-1 and produce antibodies against the activated virus.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison study found that teens who experienced physical abuse or stressful home environments as children had elevated levels of HSV-1 antibodies,an indication of a compromised immune system. The findings suggest that childrens emotional environments are having widespread repercussions on their health, senior study author Seth Pollak,a professor of psychology and paediatrics,said in a university news release.

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Even though these childrens environments have changed,physiologically they are still responding to stress. That can affect their learning and their behaviour,and having a compromised immune system is going to affect these childrens health, Pollak said.

The immune system is not preset at birth, noted fellow author Chris Coe,a psychology professor and expert on the association between stress and immunity. The cells are there,but how they will develop and how well they will be regulated is very much influenced by your early environment and the type of rearing you have.