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Poverty Impacts the Brain Development of Children

Poverty causes harm to children on many levels. It seems as though poverty

neurologically affects children from birth since the negative consequences accumulate, leading to

observable social and psychological problems. As defined by Statistics Canada’s article "Low

Income Cut-Offs,” the state of poverty refers to low income families who are below “1.5 times”

the federal poverty threshold of “$30,487, expressed in current dollars,” as of 2011. In fact,

children who grow up in these poor households have less developed grey and white matter,

causing delayed development in the frontal cortex and language associated areas found in the

brain’s left hemisphere. This is reflected in the child’s poor performance at school, where

learning disabilities occur from mild to severe degrees. Without immediate attention and early

diagnoses of these learning disabilities, to which most impoverished families do not have access,

these children will not be brought up with sufficient cognitive stimuli, causing further difficulty

in adulthood. Consequently, the detrimental factors of poverty cause children to face a stress

induced environment, which can lead to further neurological damage in the limbic system,

directly hindering memory and emotions. This ultimately affects a child’s ability to actively

socialize and strive in an educational environment. Due to the lack of educational interactions at

a young age, these impoverished children continue to plummet downwards with their

intelligence—both academically and socially. Thus, poverty drastically affects children’s

neurological developments and can cause disabilities that hinder children from advancing in their

education.

Grey and White Matter

Being in a state of poverty means that the family lacks financial resources, which leads to

a number of environmental factors, such as an unsafe community, interactions, and other

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negative influences, that impact the development of the cerebrum. From the time of birth to the

age of four, grey matter accounts for most of the children’s brain growth activity, and when

children suffer from traumatic events, there is an everlasting biological and psychological effect.

As Adam X. Gorka et al. mention in their research report, “childhood maltreatment [is]

associated with reduced gray matter volumes,” which include deliberate acts of physical abuse

and child neglect. Furthermore, Neil Damron’s article outlines the grey matter—exterior

component of the cerebral cortex—as a key factor “for processing information and executing

actions” of the interacting neurons. Thus, the density of the grey matter is determined by the

amount of neurons in the cerebral cortex; however, if neural connections are not formed between

the neurons, these brain cells will die off, causing reduction of the grey matter. Moreover, Jamie

L. Hanson et al. state in their scholar article, “regional gray matter volumes of [impoverished]

children” are “3 to 4 percentage points below the developmental norm” due to the lack of

educational opportunities to be able to develop and nurture the formation of these neural

connections. Less developed brain matter in the cerebral cortex ultimately causes lower

intelligence, both in academia and social abilities, where neural connections are necessary for

processing information; therefore, without this ability to form neural connections, children’s

learning abilities will be disrupted as they will struggle to grasp onto new ideas and retain

information.

The amount of white matter is also reduced significantly in children living in low

socioeconomic status (SES). The white matter is composed of the myelin sheath that covers the

axon of the neurons and assists with the speed of neural impulses—action potential of electrical

signals that are activated throughout thinking processes. Without the simulation of critical

thinking, this inhibits the overall development of the cerebrum causing defects in other lobes that

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regulate learning abilities and behavioral control. Through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

scans of multiple children’s brains done by Hanson et al., there is a clear discrepancy displayed

between the development of the child’s brain in poverty versus a child living in a high or middle

socioeconomic status (see Fig. 1). The lessened amount of white matter displays a logarithmic

function, where the child shows significantly smaller brain mass. Michael Balter’s article

remarks that children in poorer families have “3% less cortical surface area” than children in

wealthier families. Additionally, the grey and white matter are responsible for the composition of

ninety percent of the volume of the brain. Thus, children in poverty begin to suffer in their earlier

stages of schooling, because poverty has an immediate effect on the whole cerebrum.

FIG. 1. The effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on children in the first 3 years, 2013. Jamie L. Hanson et al. [© Courtesy of Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison]

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FIG. 3. MRI scan of the density of grey matter, comparing a child’s brain in a healthy environment, and one in extreme neglect—such as a child suffering from physical, sexual, or psychological abuse and malnutrition. Zoe Williams. [© Courtesy of The Guardian.]

Frontal Cortex

Throughout a prolonged period of childhood brain growth, the development of the frontal

lobe is the last and takes the longest, making it particularly vulnerable to environmental stress

factors. The “lower gray matter volume in the frontal” cortex affects the child’s ability to manage

abstract thinking, such as “planning, organizing, problem solving, paying attention, and impulse

control” (Damron). Moreover, with the lack of neural connections to develop the frontal cortex

in youth, this dictates for the immaturity of children and their naïve judgements. With a lack of

experience with cognitive simulation—learning resources, books, educational toys, and positive

social interactions—in an affluent environment, the rate of maturation at which the child’s

frontal lobe develops is ultimately affected. In Sebastia Lipina’s and Jorge A. Colombo’s

Poverty and Brain Development During Childhood, it states that “children from lower

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socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds build their vocabularies at slower rates than children

from high SES household,” which is largely due to the parental education level, whom often

engage in fewer literate learning opportunities; thereby, the parents often speak less and use less

complex words (60). Seth Pollack expresses that the frontal lobe is in charge of the “executive”

where children “use [this part of the brain] to control [their] attention and regulate [their]

behavior” (qtd. in “Poverty Influences Children's Early Brain Development”). This problem is

part of the disorder of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), where a defect in the

prefrontal lobe causes a distortion in the circuit that controls selective attention, behavioral

spans, and hyperactivity—the excess firing of the neurotransmitters, dopamine and

norepinephrine.

In addition to the delayed development in the frontal cortex linking to ADHD, poor

children are also subjected to poor cognitive functioning. This directly correlates to various

observable problems in effective functioning—defined as people’s abilities to regulate their own

achievement of goals. As stated in Rachel Weber’s lecture, she mentions that poor development

in the dorsolateral and orbital lateral areas of the prefrontal cortex will negatively affect the

child’s educational process, by trailing behind their classmates academically and becoming

victims to exclusiveness in their learning environment. Effective functioning skills—includes

social skills and judgements—are extremely sensitive to traumatic events, such as facing various

forms of abusive behaviour. For example, a leading cause of parental abusive behaviour is the

addiction to drugs and alcohol. If a child is exposed to such an environment, the child’s brain

will not properly develop resilience to traumatizing events, which is the ability to adapt to stress

and adversity (Weber). Observations were made that “negative sequelae of early life stress may

be mediated by developmental disruption of corticolimbic structures supporting stress

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responsiveness” (Gorka et al.). By being in the state of poverty, children are constantly

surrounded by stress from their family members, such as their parents’ financial worries. This

inhibits the development of the cerebral cortex, which does not properly develop due to their

selective pressure surroundings; thus, contributing to the delayed and slow development of the

brains of children living in poverty. As the cerebral cortex hosts the neurons that specialize in

language development, poor effective functioning skills can often lead to other learning

problems.

Language Associated Areas

Undeveloped grey matter in the left hemisphere of the brain, directly influences poor

language-based skills and abilities. In David Myers’ Myers' Psychology for AP, the association

areas are defined as the “areas of the cerebral cortex” that “are involved in higher mental

functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking” (78). Dyslexia is a prominent

language based disability that is occurs in most children who live in poverty. The problems in the

Wernicke’s area, “control[ling] language reception,” can cause a child difficulty in

comprehension and expression of language (Myers 80). An issue of interpreting auditory codes is

a type of dyslexic problem that occurs, and creates difficulty for organizing and analysing words.

The words heard, are processed through the temporal lobe, or words read, are processed through

the visual cortex, are translated into codes where the Wernicke’s area controls the interpreting

and understanding of these sensory stimulants. Additionally, the Broca’s area is also affected,

which “controls language expression” and “directs the muscle movements involved in speech”

(Myers 80). In the video by Dyslexia Help, “phoneme recognition” is recognized—such as

pronouncing the letter ‘T’—as the regulation of the ability to sound out and break down words

into syllables. In addition, the Broca’s area is also directly related speech production, which

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increases the possibility for aphasia in poor malnourished children; these children suffer from the

loss of their ability to understand or express speech due to neurological damages in the language

associated areas. Likewise, Andy Belden takes note, in his scholarly article on JAMA Pediatrics,

that the overall ability to detect words, numbers, and letters are a part of an “automatic detector”

process that happens in the Wernicke’s and Broca’s area. All in all, dyslexia can occur if there is

a dysfunction within the circuit of language processing in the language associated brain areas.

Consequently, this affects children’s ability in reading, writing, and mathematical calculations.

FIG. 2. Brain diagram of the learning associated areas. “Brain Diagram.” [© Courtesy of

KIN450-Neurophysiology]

Poverty has a significant and foreseeable effect on a child’s brain development from an

early age. The underdeveloped grey matter in the parietal and frontal regions of the brain affects

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the child’s ability to concentrate, regulate behavior, learn, and comprehend. Furthermore, this

slows down the maturing rate of the child both mentally and biologically. As children age, the

maturation of children in poor families and impoverished environments becomes significantly

less than wealthier children, and the gap between these two groups increase; this causes further

discrepancies in their educational process. Moreover, the environment the child is exposed to can

also affect their brain development; some external factors underprivileged children can suffer

from is malnourishment, lack of sleep or rest, deprivation of educational upbringing, parental

stress, unsafe environment, and limited enlightening conversations. The absence of enriching

activities, stimulants for cognitive training, can delay brain growth by decreasing neural

synapses. Consequently, these factors resulting from living in poverty, inhibit the development

of the frontal cortex and language associated areas in children’s brains, which leads to a

multitude of learning disabilities. Children living in poverty are most often not diagnosed;

therefore, they are not given the proper attention to address these issues, which further damages

the children’s brains, leading to an avalanche affect of negative psychological effects. Thus,

poverty not only affects children externally in their environmental and social interactions, but it

affects their neurological development that may lead to numerous learning disabilities.

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Works Cited

Balter, Michael. "Poverty May Affect the Growth of Children's Brains." American Association

for the Advancement of Science. 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

Belden, Andy, PhD. "Effects of Poverty on Childhood Brain Development." JAMA Pediatrics.

JAMA Network. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

"Brain Diagram." Learning to Dance - Observation vs Action. KIN450-Neurophysiology. Image.

26 Nov. 2015.

Damron, Neil. "Poverty Fact Sheet: A Child’s Brain on Poverty." Institute for Research on

Poverty. 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Gorka, Adam X., et al. "Reduced Hippocampal and Medial Prefrontal Gray Matter Mediate the

Association between Reported Childhood Maltreatment and Trait Anxiety in Adulthood

and Predict Sensitivity to Future Life Stress." Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders.

BioMed Central, 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.

Hanson, Jamie L., et al. "Association of Child Poverty, Brain Development, and Academic

Achievement." JAMA Pediatrics. JAMA Network, 1 Sept. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

Lipina, Sebastia, and Jorge A. Colombo. Poverty and Brain Development During Childhood: An

Approach from Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience. Washington: American

Psychological Association, 2009. 51-91. Print.

"Low Income Cut-Offs." Statistics Canada. Government of Canada, 2 May 2013. Web. 24 Nov.

2015.

Myers, David G. Myers' Psychology for AP. New York: Worth, 2011. Print.

"Parts of the Brain Affected by Dyslexia." Dyslexia Help. 1 Apr. 2012. Video. 26 Nov. 2015.

Pollak, Seth D., et al. "Behavioral Problems After Early Life Stress: Contributions of the

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Hippocampus and Amygdala." Biological Psychiatry. 22 May 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

Weber, Rachel, PhD. "Neuroscience in Education." Brain Talks. UBC Faculty of Medicine.

Paetzold Auditorium, Vancouver. 27 Oct. 2015. Lecture.

Williams, Zoe. "Is Misused Neuroscience Defining Early Years and Child Protection Policy?"

The Guardian. 26 Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

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Works Consulted

"Child Maltreatment: Definitions." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.

"Poverty Influences Children's Early Brain Development." EBSCOhost. Child Law Practice –

American Bar Association, 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.

Tyrrell, Kelly April. "Early Life Stress Can Leave Lasting Impacts on the Brain." Neuroscience

News. 27 June 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.

Weber, Rachel, PhD. Telephone interview. 25 Nov. 2015.

Whiteman, Honor. "Childhood Poverty 'affects Brain Development'" Medical News Today.

MediLexicon International, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.

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Reflection

In the beginning, my group spent an extensive time composing our research question that

could embody each of our independent studies. The formation of our group was beyond ideal.

Originally joining together with three separate areas of interest, we had to come up with a whole

new topic that we were all genuinely interested in. This was a long and convoluted process, but it

taught us all to keep an open mind and explore other possible areas of research. After agreeing to

explore further on how poverty affects children, we mapped out all the possible perspectives that

could branch out from each lens. Through further revision, we finally decided on three lenses:

scientific, environmental/social, and political/futuristic. From there, we were able to pick our

focus area based on our original subject of interest. By coming up with a new topic all together,

this gave us an advantage in which we were able to create a smooth line of reasoning that

connected all of our individual research topics together. Thus, we identified how an

impoverished environment can affect a child’s neurological development that may lead to

subsequence issues in the future, and exploring further on government and communal

interventions.

For my independent research, I decided to focus on the scientific implications on our

topic, the effects of an impoverished environment on children’s cognitive development. After

attending to a Dr. Rachel Weber’s lecture about pediatric neurological development, specifically

in regards to her doctorate research on effective functioning, this sparked my interest to develop

my research around possible impediments on a children’s brain maturation. My initial and

central ideas where immensely guided and developed upon this lecture; thus, I chose to explore

further on the detrimental effects of poverty on early childhood, a vital time period for cognitive

development and physical brain growth. Through her lecture, she briefly noted that poverty has a

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positive correlation with poor effective functioning—the ability to regulate the achievement of

goals. Knowing that effective functioning takes place in the frontal cortex, where judgements

and abstract thinking takes place, I deduced that a child in poverty will have a delayed

development in the frontal cortex. Furthermore, effective functioning is linked with learning

disabilities, and this led to an extension to my original idea of how poverty can affect the

development of other areas of children’s brain, specifically looking at the areas of the brain that

are vital to language: Wernicke's area and Broca's area. Rather than directly answering my

question of how poverty impacts children neurologically, this lecture informed me of effective

functioning, which served as a link to my prior knowledge, and this also lead to further questions

regarding the impact of poverty on children. Thus, I was actively exploring various perspectives

and synthesising logical connections between a multitude of claims from scholars.

All in all, this experience of writing a research essay around the realm of my interest and

expertise was quite enjoyable and opened up a whole new perspective. Shifting from an

academic writing style, I found the initial process of writing this research report challenging. As

I progressed through the writing process, I started to form connections between an academic

writing structure and a research essay structure, and found them to be quite similar—stating the

claim, providing evidence, and explaining using a logical line of reasoning. Moreover, there was

also a limited amount of scientific research conducted by professions on the direct correlations

with each area of the brain to specific conditions that impedes a child’s learning ability.

Therefore, clarity between the arbitrary connections between the neural functions its correlations

with different types of learning disabilities was required to depict my logical analysis.

Coming back together for our team report was exciting. We spent a long time discussing

and sharing our findings. When we branched off into our individual research, each member had a

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general idea of what the others were conducting their research on. Having spent a long process

identifying and organizing our IRR ideas prior to the whole writing and researching process, we

found it surprisingly easy to piece together our group paper. Creating another outline detailing

further on what we have learnt, we made sure our ideas flowed smoothly and recognized the

meticulous information that could be left out. It was interesting to see that the research done in

the environmental lens overlapped the initial setting of my research, which created a fluid

transition between the two. After laying out the situation of the problem, this set a nice leeway

into solutions the government and the community had implanted to counteract the negative

effects poverty had on childhood development. Thus, our lengthy, but tactful planning was well

paid off in the end.

Overall, this experience was a huge learning opportunity, as I was able to spend time

researching and reading articles I was deeply interested in. Not only did I learn more about my

own perspective and my other group members’ perspectives, but I was also able to share my

knowledge and finding with my peers, which helped reinforce the interminable journey of

researching and writing. Furthermore, to improve the quality of my individual research report,

more reasoning and explanation should be included to enforce my argument on how poverty—

referring to low income families—affects children’s brain development. This is partly due to my

assumptions of the seemingly obvious logical connections between the different functions of the

brain and poverty’s environmental obstructing effects that leads to different learning disabilities.

The dilemma of being an “expert” on the topic seems to have offset the depth of the

explanations. Another problem that I had encountered while writing my essay was the word

restriction of twelve hundred words. Through an active progress of delving deeper into the topic,

this lead to further tunnels that lead to other smaller paths, which more connections between

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different associated areas of the brain played a part of a child’s overall educational development,

in regards to early brain development. Thus, “Writing is the process of discovering something

that you didn’t know when you started writing.”