“I have mothers complaining that their child was more outgoing and talkative, and now they are quiet and unresponsive. Some take a while to process information or a situation, and Mom has to say, ‘Hey, hey wake up,’’’ said Ms. Biagini, who works at the Jeff Goldman law firm in Boston. Other children appear to have been duped — told they were being taken to play with other children but never returned to the parent. Decades of research have concluded that children traumatically separated from their parents have a high likelihood of developing emotional problems, cognitive delays and long-term trauma. More recent studies have found that separation can impair memory and normal production of cortisol, a hormone produced in response to stress.

Source: New York Times July 31, 2018 06:00 UTC