Stress Reduces the Size of a Child’s Brain

Lisa C. Routh, M.D.

2007

When people are under overwhelming or catastrophic stress levels, their bodies produce stress hormones. Normal everyday levels of stress and stress hormones are necessary for normal brain and body development. However, excessive levels can damage the brain and lead to developmental failure in critical areas.

The March 2007 issue of Pediatrics reported the results of a study in which children between the ages of 7 and 13 who had a history of maltreatment, severe symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and higher nighttime levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, had smaller hippocampal volumes after 12 to 18 months.

This is an important finding. The hippocampus is a region found in the temporal lobes. One of its most important functions is the formation and processing of immediate recall and memory. This is one of the areas that is abnormal in children with learning disabilities, especially in language skills.