There are many aspects in the human body that are affected by childhood poverty, and brain development happens to be one of the many. Jama Pediatrics explains that learning disabilities, depression, and the inability to cope with stress are all results of childhood poverty. In fact, researchers from the University Of Washington School Of Medicine did a study on the effect that childhood poverty has on brain development and the results were shocking. The results that the researchers found were astonishing simply because of the huge effect that poverty withholds on the development of the brain.

According to Honor Whiteman in Medical News Today, Researchers located at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine researched the effects that childhood poverty has on brain development. They discovered not only fascinating results, but they also found a cure for the brain development deficiencies that childhood poverty brings about. Researchers at the University discovered that learning disabilities, depression, and the inability to cope with stress are all symptoms that may uncover from insufficient brain development. All of these cases are caused by the lack of nurturing that the parents or guardians perform on their children. In order to come up with each discovery, an MRI was performed on one hundred and forty-five children that happened to be a part of a Preschool Depression Study between the ages of six and twelve. Portions of the one hundred and forty-five children were healthy normal children, while others suffered from different illnesses such as depression and ADHD. The research study was done by placing children and their parents/guardians in a clinic. While in the designated waiting area in the office, the child was given a gift-wrapped box, and the parent/guardian was given paperwork to complete. The child was told that the gift could not be opened until their personal caregiver had completed the necessary paperwork. The true research was how well the caregiver coped with the whining child that is wanting so very badly to open up the gift the gift they had been given. The researchers claimed that the caregivers that seemed stressed and less able to nurture their whining child were the ones that showed signs of living in poverty. According to the research, children who were living in poverty with caregivers that could not properly nurture their child showed signs of having less white and grey matter than those who were not living in poverty. In addition, the MRI scans that were taken showed that parts of the brain such as the amygdala and the hypothalamus where exceptionally smaller in children living in poverty versus children who were far more better off.

It is evident that there are several things that effect brain development, and childhood poverty is one of them. It is important to know and understand all of the different ways of life that can affect human development, especially when it comes to the brain. It is especially important to know not only so that people can try to change it, but also so that people can be aware of the effects that childhood poverty has on the brain. Once there is a sense of awareness among people that is when change has the ability to take place.

“The Effects of Poverty on Childhood Brain Development.” Jama Pediatrics. 28 Oct. 2013. Web.

1 Dec. 2013.

Whiteman, Honor. “Childhood Poverty Affects Brain Development.” MNT. 29 Oct. 2013. Web.