According to a recent study in the US, a parent's income may have an indirect effect on their offspring's brain development.

The research, which studied more than a thousand children and young people, indicated that youngsters from poorer backgrounds have a smaller brain surface in regions associated with language and reading.

While researchers from nine American universities have ascertained that a child's socioeconomic background as well as their parent's educational history plays a role in brain development, they also argue that these factors actually contribute to the physical structure of the organ.

However, researchers were keen to acknowledge that an individual's social status does not necessarily result in 'an immutable trajectory of cognitive brain development' as findings were not consistent across the board.

Commenting on the findings, professor of paediatrics at the University of Southern California. Elizabeth Sowell said: "Future research may address the question of whether changing a child’s environment – for instance, through social policies aimed at reducing family poverty – could change the trajectory of brain development and cognition for the better."

Speaking out about the research, Dr. Andrea Danese from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry said 'detectable differences' could be found between disadvantaged youngsters and their wealthier counterparts.

Dr. Danese asserted: "The experience of socio-economic disadvantage could have caused changes in brain development among young people. Other adverse experiences associated with socio-economic disadvantage, such as child abuse, could have affected brain development."
 

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