Looking Beyond Adverse Childhood Experiences

Key points

Toxic childhood stress and early adverse experiences are associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood.

Safe, stable, nurturing relationships are a powerful buffer against these health stressors.

Caregivers can have a strong impact on children's long-term health by nurturing the caregiver relationship.

The impact of adverse childhood experiences ( ACE s) has been well established since a landmark population-based study published in the late 1990s demonstrated a strong association between exposure to toxic stress in childhood and a wide range of adverse mental and physical health outcomes in adulthood, from substance use to cancer.

Since the original study by Felitti et al. (1998), subsequent research has validated the graded, dose-dependent relationship between