Raising the bar for measuring childhood adversity

Awareness about the harmful effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has increased in the past decade among paediatric providers and researchers. Hundreds of observational studies have documented the prevalence and consequences of childhood adversity,1 showing that childhood adversity can at least double the risk of later disease in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and explain up to 40% of morbidity and premature mortality across the lifecourse.1 Screening young people for ACEs and intervening could be key to buffering the effects of these experiences and reducing future morbidities.