Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2025

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
08:25

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment

Published on: December 6, 2024

259

Posttraumatic stress in infancy: The roles of cumulative trauma and caregiving context

Ann T Chu1, Melissa H Bond1, Belén Rogowski1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.

Infant Mental Health Journal
|April 25, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Infants exposed to trauma may show symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Caregiver stress and infant trauma exposure predict symptom severity, highlighting the need for early assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Psychology
  • Trauma Studies

Background:

  • Infants experience traumatic events more frequently than older children.
  • Research on infant posttraumatic stress responses is limited due to developmental and methodological challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate posttraumatic stress symptoms in infants (3-18 months) following trauma exposure.
  • To identify predictors of infant posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • Study conducted in the United States with 116 racially and ethnically diverse infants.
  • Caregivers completed the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-5 for Children Age 6 and Younger for infant symptoms.
  • Caregivers also completed the PTSD Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5) for their own symptoms.

Main Results:

  • 82.8% of infants were exposed to at least one traumatic event.
  • Infant trauma exposure and caregiver posttraumatic stress symptoms significantly predicted infant symptom number and severity.
  • Posttraumatic stress symptoms were observed in infants as young as 3 months.

Conclusions:

  • Infants can manifest posttraumatic stress symptoms after trauma exposure.
  • Developmental context and caregiver functioning are crucial factors in assessing infant posttraumatic stress.
  • Early identification and intervention for infants experiencing trauma are important.

Keywords:
Funktionsfähigkeit der BezugspersonenNourrissonPosttraumatische StresssymptomeSäuglingeTraumacaregiver functioningfonctionnement de la personne prenant soin de l'enfantfuncionamiento del cuidadorinfantesinfantsposttraumatic stress symptomssymptômes de stress post‐traumatiquesíntomas de estrés postraumáticotraumaالرضع، الصدمة، أعراض الإجهاد اللاحق للصدمة، أداء مقدمي الرعاية乳幼児、トラウマ、心的外傷後ストレス症状、養育者機能婴儿, 创伤, 创伤后应激症状, 看护者功能状态

More Related Videos

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity10:43

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity

Published on: July 1, 2014

14.9K
Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice07:06

Chronic Social Defeat Stress in Early Adolescent Male Mice

Published on: January 24, 2025

316

Related Concept Videos

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder01:27

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
16
Traumatic Memory01:20

Traumatic Memory

Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual...
48
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
22
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
42
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships. 
42.9K
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
24