Exploring Interrelatedness of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Infancy and Toddlerhood: Using Latent Class Approaches to Examine Developmental Outcomes

Abstract

Researchers have documented that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), particularly in the absence of a nurturing caregiver, can negatively impact cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. ACEs can be co-occurring, which increases the number of adversities that individuals may experience. Using data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (N = 2361), this study examined the interrelatedness of ACEs for 14-month-old children. Three classes of ACEs exposures were identified: ACEs-Low (N = 1431, 60.6%), ACEs-Parent Maltreatment Risk (N = 636, 26.9%), and ACEs-Household Dysfunction (N = 294, 12.5%). Class membership was significantly associated with children’s cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. Children in the ACEs-Parent Maltreatment Risk group had lower developmental scores across many domains than children in the ACEs-Low group, including cognitive and language development, and social-emotional measures. Children in families with greater household dysfunction (ACEs-Household Dysfunction) had fewer differences in development from the ACEs-Low group of children, primarily in domains that measure emotionality and in parent rating of health. Our study suggests that infants experience patterns of ACEs, which are differentially associated with outcomes at 14 months of age. Results highlight the need for informed early intervention efforts to mitigate the effects of ACEs.