We rely on retrospective studies, where adults recall childhood punishment. These are subject to recall bias. However, recent prospective studies (which follow children forward in time) do show that spanking predicts higher cortisol and inflammatory markers in adolescence.
Approximately 17% of the risk linking abuse to lupus is explained by depression, and 23% is explained by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), both of which are common outcomes of physical punishment. How Childhood Stress Becomes an Autoimmune Disease spanking lupus link
🧠 The Surprising Link: Can Childhood Trauma Trigger Lupus? We rely on retrospective studies, where adults recall
Lupus patients are often advised to avoid physical trauma, injury, and surgery because damage to tissue can trigger an immune response. Approximately 17% of the risk linking abuse to
The hypothesis linking spanking to lupus is an intriguing intellectual exercise in psychoneuroimmunology, but it remains unsubstantiated by direct evidence. While chronic childhood stress from any source, including harsh physical punishment, may contribute to long-term immune dysregulation, the leap to spanking as a specific trigger for lupus is not supported by current research.