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Early Life Adversity

Meaning

Early Life Adversity (ELA) encompasses a spectrum of significant stressful or traumatic experiences, including neglect, abuse, or severe deprivation, encountered during the critical developmental periods from conception through childhood and adolescence. This exposure fundamentally programs the developing neuroendocrine system, leading to persistent alterations in stress reactivity, basal hormone set points, and an increased susceptibility to metabolic and endocrine disorders later in adulthood. ELA is recognized as a profound epigenetic driver of long-term health and disease vulnerability.