The happy child is a healthy child.

Trauma and stress in early childhood can affect one’s health even after many years. The trauma and stress may already be resolved, but it could still result in weaker immunity in a child up to adolescence.

A study has revealed impaired immune function among teenagers who had experienced either physical abuse or had spent time in orphanages as youngsters. The report comes from the University of Wisconsin Madison and was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Senior author Seth Pollak, a psychology and pediatrics professor explains, “Even though these children’s environments have changed, physiologically they’re still responding to stress. That can affect their learning and their behavior, and having a compromised immune system is going to affect these children’s health.”

Dr. Pollak and a team of doctors and psychologists at UW-Madison are involved in examining early life experiences and how these shape children’s development. In the particular study mentioned, they had zoned-in on the immune system and it’s link to stress in a child’s early years.

Dr. Cris Coe is part of the research team and says that , “The immune system is not preset at birth. The cells are there, but how they will develop and how they will be regulated is very much influenced by your early environment and the type of rearing you have.”

Researchers tracked levels of antibodies against the common herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). This type of virus is latent in most Americans and can cause cold sores and fever blisters. People typically carry the virus but if their immune systems are healthy they will rarely have symptoms, if none at all.

A group of teenagers who had been abused as children had higher levels of HSV-1 antibodies. A high level of antibodies is a symptom of weakened immunity.

Doctors and psychologists have often theorized that emotional stress has an impact on physical health. The study conducted by Dr. Pollak and his team shows a direct link between children’s emotional well being and their immune system.

The study also had a surprise twist. They found that the group of adolescents who came from orphanages in Romania, Russia and China showed the same immune system impairment as the abused kids.

Even after years of living in stable, affluent, loving homes provided by their adoptive parents – their immune systems remained compromised. Judging by their immune system make-up, Dr. Pollak says, “they look just like the physically abused kids.”

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