Risk factors: A risk factor is an experience, characteristic, or exposure to a

harm that increases the likelihood of a negative experience or health outcome.

Risks to children include malnutrition, maltreatment, poor access to early
education. For example, an early adverse experience like physical abuse can
be a risk factor for depresseion and increase the likelihood that the a child may
become depressed.

Protective factors: A protective factor is an experience, characteristic, or

exposure to a harm that decreases the likelihood of a negative experience or
health outcome. For example, couselling or a safe environment can be a
protective factor, and decrease the likelihood that a child who has experienced
physical abuse may become depressed. Intervening early with programs,
policies and resources can ensure a child has access to protective factors

El desarrollo en la primera infancia es muy importante; el bienestar infantil y proteccion a los niños, esto
debido a que en sus primeros 5 años de vida su cerebro se desarrollara gradualmente en diversos ámbitos,
tanto motor, cognitivo y emocional. Para que este desarrollo sea pleno es necesario que los niños vivan y
se desarrollen dentro de un ambiente seguro, aquí es donde se hace importante resaltar el rol de los
factores de protección, que disminuyen la experiencia negativa del niño a diversos factores de estrés que
tendrán un impacto negativo en su desarrollo físico y emocional. Esto se conoce como estrés toxico y que
como sabemos puede tener impacto hasta su adultez. La intervención temprana con programas, políticas y
recursos que protejan a los niños de estrés toxico puede garantizar que el niño tenga acceso a factores de
protección y por ende un desarrollo optimo.
Por el contrario si el niño crece y se desarrolla en un ambiente donde los factores sean de riesgo, es decir
situaciones o experiencias que incrementen su exposición a abuso, desnutrición, conflictos armados entre
otros, el desarrollo de ese niño puede verse afectado severamente generando como respuesta a esos
factores depresión o conductas abusivas. Es por estos motivos que el Early Childhood Development es
sumamente importante, ya que los niños que sean protegidos hoy serán los sanos adultos del
mañana.

Development in early childhood is very important; child welfare and protection, this because in
his first 5 years of life his brain developed gradually in various areas: motor, cognitive and
emotional. For this development to be full it is necessary for children to live and develop
within a safe environment, this is where it is important to highlight the role of protection
factors, which reduce the child's negative experience to various stress factors that will have a
negative impact on their physical and emotional development. This is known as toxic stress
and as we know have impact until adulthood. Early intervention with programs, policies and
resources that protect children from toxic stress can guarantee that the child has access to
protective factors and therefore optimal development.

On the contrary, if the child grows and develops in an environment where the factors are at
risk, that is situations or experiences that increase their exposure to abuse, malnutrition,
armed conflicts among others, the development of that child can be severely affected,
generating as depression response or abusive behaviors. This is why Early Childhood
Development is extremely important, since the children protected today will be the healthy
adults of tomorrow.