Services for Families of Infants and Toddlers Experiencing TraumaA Research-to-Practice Brief

Infancy is a time of extreme opportunity, but it is also a time of extreme vulnerability, particularly for those reared in high-risk environments.1–2 Although infant exposure to any risk is important to understand, in this brief, we focus on the experience and impact of trauma, defined as witnessing or experiencing an event that poses a real or perceived threat.3 Despite their young age, infants and toddlers are exposed to trauma at high rates. A recent study of young children documented that one quarter of children under the age of 4 years have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event.4 There is evidence that young children living in high-poverty communities are even more susceptible to trauma exposure.5–6 Beginning life in the context of trauma places infants and toddlers on a compromised developmental path.7–9 Because of this, the impact of trauma on infants and toddlers can be particularly harmful.5,10 On the other hand, the developmental plasticity (i.e., the potential for developmental change in response to the environment) during this early period of life may allow infants and toddlers to rebound from these traumatic experiences, particularly if they experience stable, nurturing caregiving.8,1