Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program and Center for Universal Education at Brookings submitted this statement on behalf of the Scientific Advisory Group, Early Childhood of the Bezos Family Foundation. The statement has been released in light of the policy of family separation of immigrant families at the U.S. border with Mexico and outlines the harmful impacts of the toxic stress of family separation on children's brain development and physical wellbeing.
This stress makes the amygdala, the hub of the fight or flight response, activate more strongly. It impairs the ability of the brain’s prefrontal cortex to calm down the amygdala. It also impairs brain circuits that allow us to control our own behavior so that we can avoid distractions and temptations. Furthermore, stress increases the chances we will seek those temptations, because it reduces the brain’s ability to experience reward, so that we need stronger stimulation for us to feel good. Finally, prolonged stress produces an immune system that acts like the person is always mildly infected and/or that the person can have trouble fighting off infections or killing rogue cancer cells. The longer these stressful situations last, they more they become built into the architecture of children’s brains, which is why we call it “toxic stress.”
The statement further discusses the long-term impacts of the trauma these children and families have experienced due to their separation, displacement, and other circumstances, noting that the toxic stress doesn't simply dissipate if and when families are reunited. "Children and their parents will struggle with very strong emotions, confused by what happened to them and terrified of what might happen in the future," says Hirsh-Pasek. The statement concludes with a call for the global community to "work to repair the damage that toxic stress has caused. It is possible to undo many of the biological and psychological consequences of stress but action is needed quickly and requires a global response."