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U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Study: Poverty Influences Children’s Early Brain Development

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Thursday, December 19, 2013   

PHOENIX – According to a new study, children of low-income families have slower rates of growth in a number of areas, including two key parts of the brain – the parietal lobe and the frontal lobe.

"Poverty seems to be putting children's brains on a different trajectory of development,” says psychology professor Seth Pollak, one of the researchers. “It's slowing the development of the brains of infants living in poverty."

Pollak and other researchers studied 400 children from birth to age four. He says there is a distinct difference in the brain scans of children living in poverty.

The research indicates they don't develop as rapidly, which Pollak says helps to explain behavioral, learning and attention problems.

"We'll see children living in poverty who are placed in front of a television set and they sit there and they don't really move and they just watch a video all day,” he says. “Sometimes they're just left in a room with really nothing to do.

“We see children come into the laboratory who don't have crayons or pencils, because they don't have any of these things at home."

Pollak and his fellow researchers say environmental factors that contribute to slower brain development often come with poverty, such as poor nutrition, lack of sleep, an unsafe environment and lack of books and educational toys.

The research indicates that child-adult interaction is critical, but often absent in homes of low-income families – along with other factors.

"A child feeling protected, a child feeling secure, a child being supported,” he explains. “A child being spoken to and interacted with in a way that provides the child more information and practice in communication and making sense."

Pollak says people and governments have an obligation to do what they can to help the 16 million children living below the poverty line in the U.S.

"It seems to me that we have an important role as a society to ensure that all of our children are growing up in a situation that is optimal, and that gives each individual the best possibility for healthy growth and development," he says.





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