How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime: The Medical Crisis We Can’t Ignore

In the mid-90s, a discovery was made that changed the landscape of medicine forever. Researchers found an exposure that dramatically increased the risk for seven out of ten leading causes of death in the United States.

This wasn’t a pesticide or a packaging chemical. It was childhood trauma.

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris reveals that trauma is not just a social or mental health problem—it is a physiological threat that affects brain development, the immune system, and even our DNA. Here is the breakdown of the science that every parent, teacher, and doctor needs to know.

The ACEs Study: What Is It?

Dr. Burke Harris highlights the “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACEs) study, which surveyed 17,500 adults about their history of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.

The findings were shocking:

• It’s Common: 67% of the population had at least one ACE.
• The Dose-Response: There is a direct correlation between the amount of trauma and health outcomes. The higher your ACE score, the worse your health outcomes.

The Real Risks of High ACE Scores

If a person has an ACE score of four or more, their relative health risks skyrocket compared to someone with a score of zero:

• 2.5x risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
• 4.5x risk of depression.
• 12x risk of suicidality.
• Triple the lifetime risk of lung cancer.

The Science: Why Does Trauma Make Us Sick?

Many people assume these health issues happen because trauma leads to “bad behavior” like smoking or drinking. But the science shows that trauma chemically changes the body.

1. Brain Development

Adversity physically alters the brain:

• Nucleus Accumbens: The pleasure and reward center (implicated in substance dependence).
• Prefrontal Cortex: Necessary for impulse control and learning.
• Amygdala: The brain’s fear response center showing measurable differences on MRI scans.

2. The “Bear” in the House

Dr. Burke Harris explains the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis, or the “fight or flight” system.

• The Forest Analogy: If you see a bear in the forest, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol to save your life. This is adaptive and healthy.
• The Problem: When the “bear” is a violent parent or a dangerous home, this system is activated every night. It shifts from being life-saving to health-damaging.
• Toxic Stress: This repeated stress disrupts developing immune and hormonal systems, leading to lifelong illness.

The Solution: A Public Health Movement

This is not a hopeless situation. Dr. Burke Harris argues that ACEs are the “single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today”.

We need to treat this like a medical crisis, not just a social one.

• Routine Screening: Doctors should screen for ACEs just like they screen for lead poisoning.
• Holistic Treatment: Treatment involves reducing the dose of adversity through mental health care, nutrition, medication, and home visits.

The science is clear: this is treatable, and this is beatable. We just need the courage to look the problem in the face.