The Healing Resources website has a fascinating free video that you can view online entitled Trauma, Brain and Relationships, Helping Children Heal. It is a compilation of interview conducted with some of the country’s authorities on children and trauma.

There were many sections I found fascinating – here’s some things I learned.

Cortisol. I have had a basic understanding that cortisol washes over the brain of a person in distress, enabling the brain to produce adrenaline and react with the “fight or flight” mechanism. According to the folks presenting here, cortisol actually helps a person calmly focus during a traumatic event. The problem is that cortisol as a chemical is highly corrosive to brain tissue. So infants who are repeatedly or chronically under extreme stress or trauma, whose cries are not responded, whose needs are not met will actually stop producing as much cortisol. The body has a way of adjusting its thermostat, if you will, and producing less cortisol.

So infants who are neglected, maltreated, ignored, allowed to remain in distress have what can best be described as a “double whammy”. First their brain takes a cortisol bath and actually kills brain tissue. Then, over time, the body re-sets itself and much less cortisol is produced. So when stressful events occur, it is much harder for that child to self-sooth, because there is less cortisol (which is the chemical necessary for that self-soothing.)

Three Types of Stress Response. Traumatized infants and toddlers exhibit their trauma in different ways. There are three main ways this trauma manifests itself and these ways correspond with Fight, Flight and Freeze

1. Hyperactive/hypersensitive. This is the distressed baby who can not be consoled. It is the toddler with marathon0 temper tantrums. (Fight)

2. Hypervigilant. This is the wide-eyed infant with anxiety in muscle tone, who is constantly scanning environment. As a toddler or school aged child, this child can be overly clingy or withdrawn. (Flight)

3. Shut down and tuned out. These are the too easy babies, They are often day dreamers. Can be viewed as pre-occupied, unable to focus, distractable, lazy and unmotivated. (Freeze)

Did you notice the baby's intent stare into the caregiver's face in the photo? She's taking in the caregiver's emotional state and learning so much about her world and the perception of herself through that gaze.
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