Infant Brain Development Reflects Families’ Financial Ability to Meet Everyday Needs

Infant brain development reflects families’ financial ability to meet everyday needs

Decades of research show that early psychosocial stress, including chronic exposure to adversity, can shape how a child’s brain develops, with effects that last well beyond childhood. But families rarely experience just one source of stress at a time. Financial strain, caregiving stress, and other challenges often overlap, making it difficult to identify which factors matter most for early brain development. New research led by Boston Children’s…

Infants developing in a household where mothers reported income to be inadequate to support the family's needs exhibit delays in brain maturation. Maternal perceptions of income sufficiency may signal increased risk of financial and psychosocial stress.