September 26, 2012<\/p>\n
Scientists have shown that child abuse and neglect lead to multiple health risks throughout life.<\/span><\/p>\n The “ACE Study\u201d (or \u201cAdverse Childhood Experiences Study\u201d) led by Dr. Vincent Felitti at Kaiser Permanente has shown that trauma during childhood leads to adverse experiences throughout the child’s life including alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, suicide attempts, smoking, self-rated poor health, \u226550 sexual intercourse partners, sexually transmitted diseases, increase in physical inactivity, severe obesity, heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, skeletal fractures, and liver disease.<\/span><\/p>\n Childhood trauma, including abuse, neglect, or witnessing parental violence, has also been linked to premature aging, cognitive deficits, increase in cardiovascular disease, and other immune system deterioration.<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, research has shown that emotional abuse leads to increased risk for the development of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, as well as linked childhood abuse with later development of schizophrenia.<\/span><\/p>\n