Staggering Statistic: Kids In Poverty Pay a Shocking Physical Price

For the 22 percent of children living below the poverty line, the effects of living in a low-income neighborhood aren’t limited to wearing hand-me-downs or getting free school lunch.

According to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, living in a stressful environment—not to mention the lack of access to healthy food—can stunt kids’ brain development and in turn cause them to struggle more in school.

What’s even more heartbreaking is that these children are also more likely to develop long-term health problems. Depression and anxiety often go hand-in-hand with these kind of developmental issues in the brain.

The one bright spot in the study? Researchers discovered there is something we can do—extra attention from parents and teachers can actually help reverse the damage to kids’ brains.