Early Adversity, Toxic Stress, and Resilience: Pediatrics for Today

Never before in the history of science have we had better insight into the factors that determine the health and well-being of a person from infancy to adulthood. An expanding body of knowledge is converging from numerous disciplines including neuroscience, education, behavioral science, public health, the social sciences, and medicine. Awareness of the impact of early childhood adversity and toxic stress is growing rapidly among both professionals and the lay public. This calls for a reevaluation of how and what we, as child health care providers, should deliver to maximize our impact on individual health and well-being across the lifespan. This article briefly summarizes the topic and gives examples of how child health care providers are innovatively incorporating the latest science in practice. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(7):e246-e249.].