General Dwight Eisenhower, 34th US President, said that war was stupid and settled nothing. He did not specifically mention its effects on children, but many others have and it is listed as a cause of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s)
Recently our nation has experience extreme levels of stress and violence being experienced by our children. The experience of trauma and its impact on children have been studied. Cleveland Clinic has some excellent patient education materials and recently an article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM, 4/9/2026) discusses recent effects on our children.
ACEs can have a lasting impact on health and well-being. The negative experiences of childhood trauma can affect growth, development and can lead to physical, mental and behavioral health problems. ACEs can decrease life expectancy.
ACEs happen between birth and the age of 17. ACEs can cause childhood trauma can lingers long after the event. ACEs include the following: natural disasters (hurricanes/floods), violence including ICE raids and arrests, abuse or assault, neglect, life-threatening illness, loss of a friend or family member, parental separation, divorce or deployment, or witnessing or being involved in a serious accident. These events are part of the messy part of living and are stressful to all ages.
Social drivers of health may also cause childhood trauma. These are environmental factors that can lead to adverse childhood experiences with a lasting impact. These factors are housing instability/frequent moves, feeling unsafe in their community, lack of access to good healthcare, food insecurity, financial issues and discrimination.
Childhood trauma causes extreme stress to the body. When experiencing stress, the body releases certain hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones help you adjust to the situation. This is called the “fight-or-flight” response. The body may have a fast heart rate, high blood pressure, changes in breathing, and memory problems (much like PTSD).
This response is usually temporary. But long-term stress causes stress hormones to be in constant use and is called toxic stress. It can target the brain and change how it grows and functions. Traumatic events can cause harm at any age; childhood trauma is more severe because a child’s brain is still growing and developing. ACEs target a child’s memory, logical thinking, and ability to process emotions.
The effects of adverse childhood experiences can include long-term (chronic) conditions. It affects the way cells divide and replicate. This can result in cancer. It also affects the way the heart functions by increasing blood pressure. This can lead to heart disease. ACEs can also decrease overall life expectancy by nearly 20 years compared to someone who doesn’t have any ACEs.
With appropriate care parents, teachers, neighbors can help reduce this impact and allow for a healthy life. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a framework that shifts the focus from "What’s wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" Expanded legal-health partnerships can help provide a safe environment as can schools and early childcare settings.
Learn about trauma-informed care, in Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Care.
Sally Robinson MD
April 2026