American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Colleen Craft recently visited a shelter for migrant children in Texas, according to an article in The Washington Post, and expressed concern that the traumatic separation of children from a trusted adult can have long-term health consequences for both the children and the parent.
In an earlier op ed piece for the Los Angeles Times, Craft wrote, "Prolonged exposure to highly stressful situations — known as toxic stress — can disrupt a child's brain architecture and affect his or her short- and long-term health. A parent or a known caregiver's role is to mitigate these dangers. When robbed of that buffer, children are susceptible to learning deficits and chronic conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and even heart disease.
To read more from the AAP news release, please click here:
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