Early and subsequent life stress: physiological responses, moderating events and outcome
Date
2015-03-27
Authors
Muller, Denise Margaret
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Abstract
54 225: crimes against children reported in 2010/2011
28 128: sexual offences
30% of the sexual offences occurred in children younger than ten years.
These figures are a stark reminder of the growing number of children who experience
deprivation, abuse and maltreatment in South Africa (Unicef, 2013). Although
controversy exists with the reporting methods and the accuracy of recall in adult
patients, it remains evident that a significant number of female children are sexually
abused. Associations between early life stress and later life dysregulation of the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormone, cortisol, and the immune system cytokine,
interleukin 6, have been found in adult patients and in animal studies. Importantly,
although there is also evidence that early life stress results in later life neurobiological
changes, we have to date, no identifiable biological markers to assist with diagnosis or to
inform treatment strategies in young children who present with early life stress such as
sexual abuse or maternal neglect.
Thus, there is a growing imperative to establish whether the potential precursor
biomarkers are evident in early in development following adverse life conditions.
Therefore the research focus of the thesis was to investigate (1) whether dysregulation of
the HPA axis is evident in young children who are exposed to the traumatic stress of
abuse, (2) whether there is evidence that inadequate maternal care, during the neonatal
stage of development, has an impact of HPA and immune function and consequently on