Biological Burden of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Children.

Objective: This study aimed to examine relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and related life events and allostatic load (AL)-"wear and tear" from chronic stress-in a pediatric population.

Methods: Children were screened with the PEdiatric ACEs and Related Life Event Screener (PEARLS) tool, a 17-item questionnaire capturing experiences of abuse, neglect, household challenges, and related life events. Biological data were available for 207 participants, and AL was operationalized using clinical or empirical cutoff points across 4 physiological systems (i.