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Trauma may damage children's cognitive outcomes
A child’s intellectual development is affected by his exposure to sexual, physical or emotional abuse, according to study results. Researchers found that the effects of trauma early on may persist years later.
In a national study, researchers enrolled 206 children, whose intellectual development was assessed at 24, 64 and 96 months of age. Participants were enrolled from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, which was originally designed to examine adaptation in low-income families.
Trauma, or maltreatment, was defined in the study as:
- Physical abuse (acts resulting in physical damage).
- Psychological maltreatment or unavailability (verbal abuse, harsh criticism, emotional unresponsiveness, etc).
- Neglect (incompetent and irresponsible management of child’s care).
Researchers determined whether participants were abused, or were exposed to abuse, through home and laboratory observations, maternal interviews and medical and child protection records. When participants were aged 24 months, researchers administered a series of tests such as the Bayley Mental Development Scale and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence to assess memory learning, problem-solving, verbal communication, sensory acuity and other indicators of intellectual development.
Controlling for maternal IQ, birth weight, cognitive stimulation in the home and sociodemographic factors, researchers found that interpersonal trauma exposure (IPT) was significantly harmful to participants’ cognitive outcomes.
Results showed that 36.5% of participants had experienced IPT, with 13% exposed to IPT in preschool only, 4.8% in infancy only, and 18.7% experiencing IPT in both preschool and infancy. Participants exposed to IPT in infancy only and those exposed to IPT in infancy and preschool scored lower than children who were exposed to IPT in preschool only and unaffected children. Children exposed to IPT in infancy and preschool scored “significantly lower” than unexposed children, according to researchers.
“The results suggest that IPT in early childhood, particularly during the first two years, has significant and enduring effects on cognitive development,” they wrote. “Child maltreatment represents the most extreme form of poor caregiving, and maltreating parents demonstrate a host of characteristics predictive of various negative child outcomes.”
The researchers added that the results of the study highlight the importance of identifying at-risk families to prevent trauma in a child’s early years and encourage positive cognitive development.
Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.
