Stressed parents make children ill

BBC News report that a recent study has concluded that stressed parents can make themselves and their children ill.  The study assessed the parents of 169 children over a three-year period, with the parents recording instances of childhood illness.  The total number of illnesses were reported as being significantly higher in children of parents with higher levels of "emotional stress".

It was a limitation of the study that  parents monitored illness in their children rather than independent professionals as it could be argued that stressed or  over-anxious parents were more likely to record higher levels of illness. However, immune cells levels in the children's  blood was also measured, and those children with more stressed parents were found to have had raised levels.

What does the study actually mean? Well I think it shows what we already know that if parents feel besieged by events and that leads to anxiousness, distraction, irritability or excessive worrying this will cascade to children too. We live in a world where we just don't say no, we have been brought up to believe that we can do it all, that we can juggle all the balls at once.  The truth is we can't do everything - something has to give and eventually it is your health.