Acute family stress can impact a child?s immune system

Health[1] Health[1]Bacteria [2]Children's health [3]illness [4]immune system [5]Stress [6]Viruses [7]Norway [8] Forskning.no [9] High levels of stress in a family can undermine a child?s immune system, making it easier for viruses and bacteria to do their worst. Our immune system protects us from bacteria and viruses. But intense or long-lasting psychological stress can have a negative effect on an individual's immune response. “We are not talking about the types of daily stress that all families encounter,” says Maria Faresjö, a professor at Jönköping University in Sweden. The family stress that concerned the researchers was more serious – such as the kind that can develop when a close family member dies or when adults are caught in tough, unmanageable situations. This kind of family stress, which can arise during divorces, can often be a long-term problem.