Results of two recent meta-analyses showed that parental PTSD rates following a child’s trauma largely vary, depending on the type of trauma. When working with traumatised children it is also important to be aware that the child’s trauma and the child’s response to the trauma can also be traumatic for parents and can be a source of chronic stress. 18 Therefore, trauma that occurs during early childhood may have even greater ramifications for developmental trajectories than traumas that occur at a later stage of development. 14 Additionally, trauma during childhood has been associated with permanent structural 15 and functional 16 brain impairment as well as the onset of psychiatric disorders, 17 health risk behaviours and physical health conditions in adulthood. 9,12,13 These findings are concerning given that young children’s neurophysiological systems, including the stress modulation and emotional regulation systems, are still in the process of rapid development. Research with children of all ages has shown that untreated PTSD can follow a chronic and debilitating trajectory. 9–11 Depression, separation anxiety disorder (SAD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) are often diagnosed in addition to PTSD. Most children with PTSD experience comorbid disorders, i.e., 73%-89% of the children with PTSD. 8 Furthermore, children aged 0-6 years old undergo rapid developmental changes, and some of the behaviors during a specific phase overlap with PTSD symptomatology (e.g., tantrum during the ‘terrible two’s’ or sleep regression at the 4 th month of infancy). Some studies use age-specific PTSD criteria, whereas other studies have used DSM-IV criteria which has been shown to underestimate PTSD diagnoses in children below 6 years of age. 1,3,7 Another reason that makes it challenging to determine the prevalence rate, are the different criteria being used across studies to assess PTSD. The highest rates of PTSD typically follow physical or sexual abuse, i.e., 26 and 60%. Repeated trauma’s – as opposed to single event trauma’s – along with interpersonal trauma seem to increase chances of developing PTSD by threefold. One of the reasons is that the type of trauma may affect the likelihood that a child develops PTSD. 6 However, the prevalence rate largely varies between studies due to multiple reasons. 5 In trauma-exposed children, a PTSD prevalence rate of 24.8% has been reported in children under the age of 6. In community samples, a prevalence rate of 0.5% has been reported in children aged 0-6 years old. Prevalence, course, and consequences of trauma reactions 3 Therefore, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which was released in 2013, included specific diagnostic criteria for PTSD in children under the age of 6. 1 However, research has shown that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV- TR) 2 PTSD criteria does not adequately capture the symptom manifestation experienced by infants and preschool children and underestimates the number of children experiencing posttraumatic distress and impairment. Research indicates that - consistent with older children and adolescents - young children also typically manifest with the traditional three PTSD symptom clusters of re-experiencing the event (e.g., through nightmares, posttraumatic play), avoidance of reminders of the event and physiological hyperarousal (e.g., irritability, sleep disturbance, exaggerated startle). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the more serious and debilitating mental disorders that can occur following trauma. Technology in early childhood education.Stress and pregnancy (prenatal and perinatal).Integrated early childhood development services.
Importance of early childhood development.Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).Child care – Early childhood education and care.Behaviour Education Health Pregnancy Family Programs