New research acquired from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) suggests that a nurturing mother can help insulate her children from a lifetime of health problems.

Previous studies have shown that children who grow up in households with low-income and less educated parents are more likely to develop a litany of health issues when they get older.

But when researchers used MIDUS to look into the link between childhood poverty and metabolic syndrome, which leads to diabetes and heart disease, they found the correlation wasn’t as strong as they expected.

They also discovered that participants who reported their moms had spent a lot of time with them growing up, and understood their problems and worries, were more likely to end up leading healthy lives, despite even growing up in low-income and less educated households.

Sorry dad, but a nurturing  father had no effect on a child’s health as an adult.

 

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