Socioeconomic determinants of early neurodevelopment

Abstract

Socioeconomic status (SES) can be determinant for human health. Through different mechanisms, a person’s educational level, occupational status and income can define their physical and mental well-being. Considering that in the first years of life and even before being born, infants are especially vulnerable to their environment, we analyze whether social and economic factors may have an effect on early neurological development. Using data from the BiSC cohort (women recruited in three major hospitals in Barcelona) and multivariate regression models, we determine the relationship between maternal educational level, financial management, employment status and health insurance, with the neurodevelopment of their offspring assessed through the Developmental Profile 3 (DP-3) questionnaire. Possible confounding variables, such as sex of the child, weight at birth or maternal age, amongst others, were controlled for statistically. Results indicate that there is no effect of health insurance in early development. Higher time-demanding maternal employment has been found to cluster with lower scores in different dimensions of the DP-3 test. Outcome regarding the influence of maternal education and income is controversial. These effects are discussed, emphasizing the potential role of parental bias while reporting their children’s skills.