CHICAGO (June 2018): Every day on the news there are reports of children in crisis. While the immediate safety and wellbeing of these children is of top concern, there’s another piece to the story—the lifelong challenges that they may face due to these adverse childhood experiences.
From the American Academy of Pediatrics comes a groundbreaking new book to help those who care about the welfare of children better understand the long-term effects of childhood trauma and toxic stress, "Thinking Developmentally: Nurturing Wellness in Childhood to Promote Lifelong Health," by Andrew S. Garner, MD, PhD, FAAP and Robert A. Saul, MD, FAAP, FACMG (AAP, $49.95).
Thinking Developmentally presents a clinical framework for understanding the impact of toxic stress and both adverse and affiliative childhood experiences on development. It makes a compelling case that many diseases of adulthood are not adult-onset, but rather adult-manifest, based on genetic and epigenetic consequences from early childhood experiences.
Garner and Saul examine the needs of children and the role of parents, caregivers, the community, and medical practitioners in ensuring that children have safe, stable, and nurturing relationships that can help buffer the effects of toxic stress. They explore community empowerment and offer suggestions for applying developmental science to help build healthy children, nurturing families, and caring communities.
“Thinking Developmentally is a must-read primer for anyone caring for or about children,” said Nadine Burke Harris, MD, MPH, FAAP, author of The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity. “I learned so much from reading this book. Drs Garner and Saul synthesize the latest neuroscience and developmental research and translate it into clear and practical advice. We are in a moment of national awakening to the lifelong effects of childhood adversity. Thinking Developmentally offers an evidence-based road map for building a healthier future for the next generation.”
Andrew S. Garner, MD, PhD, FAAP, has practiced primary care pediatrics with University Hospitals Medical Practices in Cleveland since 2000. He is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the CWRU School of Medicine, and a Faculty Associate with the Schubert Center for Child Studies. As a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Dr. Garner co-authored the AAP’s Policy Statement and Technical Report on childhood toxic stress. He has also served the AAP as the Chair of the Leadership Workgroup on Early Brain and Child Development, and as a member of the Leadership Workgroups on Epigenetics and Poverty.
Robert A. Saul, MD, FAAP, FACMG, is the Medical Director of General Pediatrics, Senior Medical Director of Medicaid Practices, and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Greenville Health System and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. The AAP is the largest pediatric publisher in the world, with a diverse list that includes essential clinical titles and award-winning books for parents. For more information, visit www.aap.org or follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds.
Book Details
Title: Thinking Developmentally: Nurturing Wellness in Childhood to Promote Lifelong Health
Authors: Andrew S. Garner, MD, PhD, FAAP, and Robert A. Saul, MD, FAAP, FACMG.
Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics
Publication: June 2018, $49.95, ISBN: 978-1-61002-152-4, eBook ISBN: 978-1-61002-153-1
175 pages, 6 x 9, charts and graphs