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News from the Center on the Developing Child

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JANUARY 2012

developingchild.harvard.edu

NEW POLICY STATEMENT AND TECHNICAL REPORT

AAP Calls for Action to AddressToxic StressThe nation’s pediatricians have issued an urgent call to action to address the dangers of toxic stress experienced by children early in life.Early adversity has long been known to increase the risks of disease and life-threatening behaviors later in life. Now, scientific advances provide solid evidence of how this occurs and underscore an urgent need to enhance existing strategies for promoting health and preventing disease across the lifespan.In the policy statement that appears in the January 2012 issue of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls on “the entire pediatric community†to protect children’s brains from toxic stress by catalyzing “fundamental change in early childhood policy and services.†Along with a technical report on the science of toxic stress, the policy statement marks the first time that the AAP has highlighted toxic stress as a topic for urgent attention, and it builds upon the cumulative work of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child and the Center.READ FULL POLICY STATEMENT >>READ FULL TECHNICAL REPORT >>VIEW RELATED RESOURCES >>

upcoming web event

The Forum at HSPH To Host Webcast on Toxic StressThe Forum at Harvard School of Public Health will host its next live broadcast event, "The Toxic Stress of Early Childhood Adversity: Rethinking Health and Education Policy," on February 7 in the Kresge Building at HSPH. A discussion with a live web audience, the event will feature expert participants, including Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff and W. Block, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Launched in 2010, The Forum seeks to provide decision-makers with a global platform to discuss policy choices and scientific controversies.Tues., Feb. 7, 2012, 3:00pm-4:00pm ESTWATCH ONLINE AND SUBMIT QUESTIONS >>

global pediatrics article

New Scientific Knowledge Can Inform Innovative Global StrategiesInternational discussions of child-related policies and practices often fail to make the vital connection between child survival, one of the developing world’s most pressing issues, and child development, an equally important prerequisite for productive and harmonious societies. However, an article in the February issue of Pediatrics co-authored by Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff posits that new knowledge in the biological and social sciences offers a unifying framework that can inform innovative strategies to improve both child survival and early development as well as adult outcomes in health, learning, and behavior. The article also calls for greater synergy across policy sectors related to child health and well-being, schooling, and economic development. The co-authors are Richter of the Human Sciences Research Council and the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa; Jacques van der Gaag of the Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution, and the Amsterdam Institute for International Development, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Zulfiqar A. Bhutta of the Division of Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.READ FULL ARTICLE >>

MEDIA COVERAGE

AAP Reports on Toxic Stress Generate Wide Media InterestHarvard EdCast: “Toxic Stress in Early Childhoodâ€Center Director Jack P. Shonkoff discusses the impact of early childhood toxic stress on adult health in the January 23 EdCast, a weekly podcast interview conducted by Matt Weber at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Slate Magazine: “Tender Young Brains: What Kind of Childhood Stress Should Parents Actually Be Stressing About?â€A January 18 article from Slate cites the AAP reports on toxic stress as an important counterbalance to parents' unfounded worries that small stresses in a loving environment cause lasting damage, in contrast to the stress of serious early adversity without the buffering effect of supportive adult relationships.The New York Times: “A Poverty Solution That Starts With a Hugâ€New York Times columnist D. Kristof brings the impact of toxic stress to the forefront in a January 8 column, positing that the AAP policy statement's recommendations could have "revolutionary implications" for poverty, education, and health outcomes.VIEW HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE >>

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New Policy Statement & Technical ReportUpcoming Web EventGlobal Pediatrics ArticleMedia Coverage

VIDEOS Brain Hero

INTERACTIVE FEATURES Five Numbers to Remember About Early Childhood Development

REPORTS A Science-Based Framework for Early Childhood Policy

WORKING PAPERS How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function

BRIEFS InBrief: The Foundations of Lifelong Health

National Scientific Council on the Developing ChildNational Forum on Early Childhood Policy and ProgramsGlobal Children's InitiativeFrontiers of Innovation

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