A recent study suggests that being raised as an only child may have beneficial effects on both neurocognitive development and mental health.
Medical Xpress introduced a paper published by Chinese researchers in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
According to the paper’s statistics, family sizes are shrinking globally, with more parents opting to have only one child. As a result, understanding the brains and behaviors of only children, who grow up without siblings, has become increasingly important.
While previous studies have claimed that the upbringing of only children has various effects, their conclusions have often been inconsistent.
Some studies have reported that only children achieve higher academic performance and exhibit strong social skills, while others have presented more negative findings.
In this context, researchers from Tianjin Medical University in China conducted an in-depth analysis of brain development and behavioral traits in only children.
Using data from the China Imaging Genetics (CHIMGEN) project, the researchers matched 2,397 pairs of individuals—those who grew up as only children and those with siblings.
They then investigated the impact of growing without siblings (GWS) on adult brain structure, function, connectivity, cognition, personality, and mental health.
The study found that GWS was associated with increased integrity of language-related white matter and larger cerebellar volume. Conversely, it was linked to decreased integrity of motor-related white matter and reduced cerebrum volume.
These findings suggest that only children may excel in language and learning abilities but lag in motor skills and spontaneous behavior.
The researchers explained that these differences are primarily related to the unique environment and limited stimulation that only children are exposed to while growing up. They emphasized the importance of providing children with diverse experiences and opportunities.
The team noted that such interventions could help improve brain function and mental health in children, supporting healthier behavioral development into adulthood.
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