PTSD and the child

The other day, I watched a fascinating show called "Hog Genius", National Geographic, on the Discovery Channel.

Scientists found that Swine are closely related to humans in many ways and that the brain and their reactions to stimuli are similar to humans. That being said, they used pigs to test learning and responses to stress.

They found that the animal can problem solve better than dogs or primates however, when stress is introduced, they were unable to cope or solve problems.

This was illustrated by placing it in a large tub of water with a platform submerged, just out of sight. The pig would swim around the tub for a short time, bump into the platform and be able to climb to safety. Ten minutes later, it was reintroduced into the tub and immediately swam to the platform, showing that learning took place.

A stressed animal, however, panicked when introduced to the water and swam without purpose. It was then drawn to the platform by the scientist in order to teach it where to swim, to safety. Ten minutes later, the stressed pig was reintroduced into the tub. He panicked and failed to find the platform.

Scientists referred to this as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the means they used to produce this stress in the pig was, of all things, to wean him from his mother prematurely. As a result, it was unable to cope with normal life stressors having been taken from the basic nurturing that an animal needs.

If the findings are accurate in this well funded study, what affect does removing a child from his mother and placing him in daycare have on a child?

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me.

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever. Ps. 131