Income‑Sufficiency Predicts Infant Brain

A Baby Steps cohort analysis (n≈300) linked parent‑reported income sufficiency — not raw household income — to changes in infant resting‑state EEG connectivity by 12 months using network clustering methods. The study suggests subjective capability to meet needs functions as a central mediator between family adversity and early neural development. — If replicated, this reframes anti‑poverty policy to target perceived material adequacy (cash transfers, benefit timing, eviction prevention) as a measurable lever for improving early brain development and long‑term child outcomes.