Study Identifies The 1 Grandparent Who Has The Biggest Impact On Kids

LOADING ERROR LOADING If you’ve ever known the relief of a grandmother’s embrace or the comfort of pulling up in her driveway and knowing that a hot meal was waiting for you, then you probably don’t need any research to tell you that a grandmother’s presence has restorative effects. “Our main finding was that investment from maternal grandmothers seemed to be able to protect their grandchild from the negative influence of experiencing multiple adverse early-life experiences,” Samuli Helle, the lead researcher, told HuffPost. In childhood, Bignall said, these experiences may “change brain development and impact their body’s response to stress,” “negatively impact their ability to develop healthy relationships,” “impact their ability to pay attention, learn and make decisions” and “lead to poor mental health.” In adulthood, a person is also more likely to experience mental health problems as well as substance use issues and chronic physical health concerns, such as diabetes, asthma and cancer. “Not even the highest level of investment from maternal grandmothers seen in these data was able to fully safeguard grandchildren from the negative effects of adverse early-life experiences,” he said. “By being able to protect their grandchildren from the ‘full impact’ of adverse life events, maternal grandmothers’ investment in their grandchildren can produce a long-lasting impact on the development and wellbeing of these children,” Helle said.