The link between behavioral responsiveness to stress and subsequent health has been demonstrated in adults but not in infants and very young children. The ability of infants to suppress responding to acutely painful events was examined both as a function of neonatal status and as a predictor of incidence of illness at 18 to 24 months. Responding to stress in early infancy was predictive of later health but the nature of the relation depended on the maturity of the child.
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