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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is the term used to describe all types of abuse, neglect, and other potentially traumatic experiences that occur to people under the age of 18. ACEs are unfortunately quite common; two out of three people have at least one emotional injury during childhood, meaning this essentially effects every family.
Jade Elliott sits down with Dr. William Cosgrove, pediatrician and chair of Salt Lake County Board of Health, to discuss Adverse Childhood Experiences and how they can negatively impact someone throughout their life.
ACEs have been linked to risky health behaviors, chronic health conditions, lower life potential, and early death. As the number of adverse experiences increase, so does the risk for those outcomes.
Positive experiences or protective factors can prevent children from experiencing adversity and can protect against many of the negative health and life outcomes even after adversity has occurred.
It is important to address the conditions that put children and families at risk of ACEs so that we can prevent ACEs before they happen.
- Strengthen economic supports to families, including family-friendly work policies
- Support positive parenting, including reducing corporal punishment
- Provide quality care and education early in life
- Enhance parenting skills to promote healthy child development, including early childhood home visitation
- Intervene to lessen harms and prevent future risks
To listen to our podcast about the importance of parental and infant mental health, click here.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.