Children who are raised in poor families may take a toll on their brain development resulting in them having smaller brains, a new study said.
"What's new is that our research shows the effects of poverty on the developing brain, particularly in the [brain's] hippocampus, are strongly influenced by parenting and life stresses that the children experience," study author Dr. Joan Luby, of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a university news release.
Dr. Luby and colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging to chart changes in the brain that can lead to lifelong problems such as depression, learning difficulties and limitations in the ability to cope with stress.
The MRI scans also revealed that two key brain structures were smaller in children living in poverty: the amygdala, a key structure in emotional health; and the hippocampus, an area of the brain that is critical to learning and memory, Luby noted.
The study found that helping parents provide children with high-quality care. Preschool programs that provide good supplementary care and a safe haven for vulnerable young children may be part of that assistance.
"Parents can be less emotionally responsive for a whole host of reasons," Luby said. "They may work two jobs or regularly find themselves trying to scrounge together money for food. Perhaps they live in an unsafe environment. They may be facing many stresses, and some don't have the capacity to invest in supportive parenting as much as parents who don't have to live in the midst of those adverse circumstances."
The study is published online Oct. 28 and will appear in the November issue of JAMA Pediatrics.
