Recent research highlights the impact of domestic violence on children's brain development
Mon 14 May 2012
A US-based longitudinal study of children from birth has found that children who have been abused or have witnessed violence against their mother ...
A US-based longitudinal study of children from birth has found that children who have been abused or have witnessed violence against their mother scored lower on cognitive measures, after controlling for other factors. Children were tested at 24, 64 and 96 months. The effect was strongest in those traumatised in the first two years of life.
This research adds to the evidence that early-life trauma and adversity can lead to changes in brain structure and circuitry. A study reporting such findings was published in Current Biology last year.
Photo credit: Istock photo