A new study has found that “household chaos” and diet can impact a child’s cognitive growth. If you asked any mom if her house was calm or chaotic, she would likely say that it leans more towards the chaotic line. However, that is not always the case, and mom may come to find that her house is not actually chaotic.
However, if it is, there may be some risks to the children who are living there. According to Medical Xpress, a study has found that children who live in a chaotic household, along with having a poor diet, may have impacted cognitive growth, and this can be a concern.
Parents want to do everything they can to ensure that their children are healthy, and well, and this may be an indicator that they need to make some changes in their home environment so that their children can thrive.
This study was done by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and it can be read in full here. It found that poor nutrition, mixed with a chaotic household can impact a child’s executive functioning. This means that they may develop problems with memory, attention and emotional control.
Over 300 families participated in this study, and it was done on children who were between 18 months to 2 years, and it found that those who ate higher qualities of sugary foods and processes snacks were more likely to have problems with their cognitive growth. This was shown through surveys that were completed by their parents/caregivers.
This could be a good indicator to parents of young infants and toddlers that they really need to watch what they are feeding their children, and that they may need to pay more attention to moderation when it comes to snacks and meals.
Children start developing their executive function between the ages of 2 and 5, and the researchers wanted to look at what happened in the periods just before that to see if there was anything that impacted that growth.
When it came to household chaos, the survey asked about the home life, and it found that children who lived in homes that had a lot of noise, were overcrowded and that did not have a strict and set routine were at a higher risk of delayed development as well.
Studies can help point us in the right direction when it comes to parenting, and they may be all parents can go on since there is no guidebook on how to do this.
Sources: Medical Xpress, MDPI