Poverty affects children’s brains, but public policy may reduce the impact, study shows

A recent study out of Harvard University suggests that public policies aiming to reduce the harms of poverty may lead to larger brains in children. Scientists say that finding underscores the need for a strong social safety net, WBUR reported.

Researchers looked at brain images from 11,000 children in 17 different states that offer a range of health benefits and cash assistance to low-income families. They found children in states with generous benefits had a larger hippocampus, the section of the brain involved in learning, memory and emotion processing. They also had fewer mental health and behavioral problems.

Harvard psychologist Kate McLaughlin said scientists have long found an association between poverty and brain size.

“The question we had is whether the magnitude of that association — so how much [connection] growing up in a family that’s living in poverty has on a child’s brain development varies based on where you live,” McLaughlin said,  as WBUR reported.

The research team found almost a 40% difference in brain size among low-income children living in states with the most generous benefits, such as California, versus the least generous, like Oklahoma. This is after accounting for the cost of living.

“Could you use effective public policies to try to reduce the impact of poverty on children’s brain development?” she said. “The answer seems to be yes.”