It’s not exactly a surprise that children from low-income families
are at a disadvantage. The government-funded Head Start program in the
United States attempts to reduce some of the inequalities when it comes
to education, but how do children in poverty fare physiologically? And
what can be done to ensure their health and well-being?
Researcher Ying Sun, a visiting academic at the Murdoch Children’s
Research Institute in Australia, detailed a study she conducted
looking at how income affected puberty rates in children in
The Conversation. Using
the country’s Growing Up in Australia study, the team asked 3,700
parents about signs of puberty observed in their children between the
ages of eight and nine and 10 to 11. In girls,
signs include
developing breasts, pubic and armpit hair, menstruation and acne. Boys
typically exhibit cues like increased facial and pubic hair, growth
spurt, muscle growth and acne.
