<P> Socioeconomic status is measured primarily based on the factors of income, educational attainment and occupation . Current investigations into the role of socioeconomic factors on child development repeatedly show that continual poverty is more harmful on Intelligence Quotient IQ, and cognitive abilities than short - lived poverty . Children in families who experience persistent financial hardships and poverty have significantly impaired cognitive abilities compared to those in families who do not face this issue . Low income poverty can cause a number of further issues shown to effect child development, such as poor academic success, less family involvement, iron deficiency, infections, a lack of stimulation, malnutrition and lead poisoning due to lead paint found on the walls of some houses . Child blood levels of lead increase as income decreases . Income poverty is associated with a 6--13 point reduction in IQ for those earning half of the poverty threshold compared to those earning twice the poverty threshold . That being said, children coming from households featuring continual or temporary poverty still perform lower than children in middle - class families . </P> <P> Parental educational attainment is the most significant socioeconomic factor in predicting the child's cognitive abilities, those with a mother with high IQ are likely to have higher IQs themselves . Similarly, maternal occupation is associated with better cognitive achievement . Those whose mothers' job entails problem - solving are more likely to be given stimulating tasks and games, and are likely to achieve more advanced verbal competency . </P> <P> Mother's employment is associated with slightly lower test scores, regardless of socioeconomic status . However, those whose working mother is of a higher socioeconomic status experience more disadvantages because they are being removed from a more enriching environment than a child care . Obviously, the quality of child care is a factor to be considered . Low income children tend to be cared for by grandparents or extended family and therefore form strong bonds with family . High income children tend to be cared for in a child care setting or in home care such as a nanny . If the mother is highly educated, this can be a disadvantage to the child . Even with quality of care controlled for, studies still found a negative correlation between full time work within the first year and child development . Children whose mothers work are also less likely to receive regular well - baby doctor visits and less likely to be breastfed, which has been proven to improve developmental factors . Effects are felt more strongly when women resume full time work within the first year of the child's life . These effects may be due in part to pre-existing differences between mothers who return to work and those who do not such as differences in character or reason for returning to work . </P> <P> Low - income families are less likely to provide a stimulating home learning environment to their children due to time constraints and financial stress . Compared to two - parent households, children with a single - parent generally don't have better social, behavioral, educational, or cognitive outcomes than those with two parents because of economic vulnerability and a lack of parental involvement . A child's academic achievement is influenced by parents' educational attainment, parenting style, and parental investment in their child's cognitive and educational success . Upper - income families are able to afford learning opportunities inside and outside of the classroom . Poverty - stricken children are subjected to fewer stimulating recreational activities, often missing out on trips to libraries or museums, and are unable to access a tutor to help with problematic academic areas . </P>

Growth of a particular child can be measured in