Pediatric Care
Universal ACEs Screening
Multiple leading healthcare and public health organizations now recommend early screening for:
1. Sources of toxic stress and 2. Early intervention to prevent or reduce the impacts of adversity including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; and the American Academy of Pediatrics [2]In addition, toxic stress risk assessment and intervention meets the 10principles for optimal population-based screening efforts outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) Wilson and Jungner Criteria[5]Since ACEs Aware Ohio is one of the first statewide universal effort to encourage ACE screening for adoption both, Parents and children.
Why Should My Practice Screen for Adverse Childhood Experiencesand Risk of Toxic Stress?
1. ACE screening supports health promotion, prevention, and effective treatment of illness
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2. ACE screening helps clinicians and patients form stronger therapeutic relationships
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3. ACE screening can improve clinical decision-making and treatment of serious and difficult-to-treat health conditions
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Reference
1. Shonkoff JP, Garner AS; Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health; Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care; Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics. 2012;129(1). Available at: www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/129/1/e232 Google Scholar.2. Garner AS, Shonkoff JP, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care, Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Early childhood adversity, toxic stress, and the role of the pediatrician: Translating developmental science into lifelong health. Pediatrics 2012; 129(1): e224-31; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Vibrant and healthy kids: Aligning Science, practice, and Policy to advance health equity. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2019.; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the best available evidence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2019.3. Szilagyi M, Kerker BD, Storfer-Isser A, et al. Factors associated with whether pediatricians inquire about parents’ adverse childhood experiences. Acad Pediatr. 2016;16(7):668–675 Google ScholarCrossref PubMed4. Appendix S4: the case for routine mental health screening. Pediatrics. 2010;125(Supplement 3). Available at: www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/125/Supplement_3/S1335. Wilson JMG, Jungner G, World Health Organization. Principles and practice of screening for
disease. World Health Organization, 1968 as referenced and discussed in Bhushan D et al.
“Tertiary Prevention Strategies in Healthcare” Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health. Office of
the California Surgeon General, 2020. DOI: 10.48019/PEAM8812, p. 84- 90.