Impacts of Fatherless Upbringing

The Wall Street Journal recently wrote an article about several research projects that looked at the impact of being raised without a father on the brain of the child. Basically, the preliminary indications (albeit in animals) suggests that being raised without a father does not only impact social, emotional, and cognitive development but it actually impacts the physical development of the brain! In other words not only do our relationship impact us emotionally but they may change brain development. This is critical especially in light of the fact that the article points out that only 57% of U.S. children live with both parents.