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TOGETHER IN HEALING
HOLIDAYS CAN BE HARD
The Science
of ACEs
Dr. Moshe Szyf's TED Talk: How early life experience is written into DNA
Dr. Moshe Szyf is a pioneer in epigenetics who is doing groundbreaking work on the biochemical signals passed from mothers to their offspring. Watch this video to learn how, as Dr. Szyf says, “DNA isn’t just a sequence of letters, it’s a dynamic movie in which our experiences are being written.”
Roadmap for Resilience: Intergenerational Transmission of Adversity
This section of the California Surgeon General’s Roadmap for Resilience lays out the generational impact of ACEs and toxic stress.
Here's a summary of the main points:
INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION
ACEs and toxic stress can alter the biology and behavior of people in ways that affect the birth and development of their children.
GENERATIONAL RISK
Children born to parents with high ACE scores are more likely to experience a variety of neuropsychiatric, behavioral, and physical health problems.
PRENATAL IMPACTS
The effects of toxic stress due to ACEs may impact our ability to conceive, and may increase risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and low birth weight.
ADVERSITY AND RESILIENCE CAN BE PASSED ON THROUGH EPIGENETICS
The intergenerational transmission of ACEs isn’t fully determined in childhood. The same pathways that pass on the negative effects of toxic stress can also pass on positive resiliency factors when we as adults with ACEs adopt long-term practices to heal ourselves, and are supported by communities and systems with resources that address our needs.
