“The early years present us with a window of opportunity to enhance development; we also need be aware of times of vulnerability when the brain is affected by adverse experiences.” (Landy, 2009, p.29) This is a passage taken out from Landy, “Pathway to Competence; encouraging social and emotional development in young children.” From her book, we see evidence of how children can be influenced through different experiences. Stress for instance, can have significant adverse effects on how children develop whether physically, mentally and socially. Children display changes in their physical well-being when under stress such as, getting sick frequently, and weak immune systems. Illness in children due to weak immune system impacts the mental developmental stage as children experience high levels of stress affected by trauma and abuse that influences their brain in dramatic ways. As the child’s brain experiences dramatic changes, it also affects the social developmental stages and plays an impact on the child’s behaviour. We often see children who are abused at home would normally exhibit peculiar behaviours that would affect them negatively with their social relationship. These developmental stages are interrelated with each other; usually interference in one area would frequently mean delays with the others. Hence it is important to provide a nurturing environment that promotes balance with all stages of development.

How does stress has adverse effects with children physically? “Stress is the physiological and psychological responses to perceived threat.” (Weiten, 2004, p.529). Stress is often times related to bad experience; this is the general public assumption. The fact is that stress can be good or bad. “The body response to stress by pumping the heart faster to increase blood flow to our muscles so we have better strength, bronchioles in the lungs are dilated so we can breathe better, pupils are dilated so we see better…” (Sympathetic nervous system, 2010). Stress in a positive aspect normally puts children in a stage of alertness, which can help them focus. When children are focused, they can learn and they will be better at retaining information, they will have appropriate responses; all in all, stress can be a good thing as it leads to positive brain development. Prolonged exposure to stress however will also have critical undesirable effects on children and their brain. “Stress response includes reducing peristalsis movement in the gastrointestinal tract, decreased urine secretion and triggered releases of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline.” (Gould, 2006, p. 218). Adrenaline and cortisol both play an important role in stress physiology. “Adrenaline and cortisol suppressed immune system, additionally; cortisol also suppressed physical growth and affects many aspects of brain activities, including memory and emotion.” (Victor G. Carrion, Carl F. Weems, and Allan L. Reiss, 2007) Due to the prolonged exposure of stress, children can get sick frequently from all sort of infection due to suppressed immune system; unable to heal properly due to malnourishment and delay or undergrowth from excessive adrenaline and cortisol hormones. These hormones cause children’s brain to under develop leading to their physical development being delayed. Positive stress in children’s physical development will lead to healthy overall development of the child.