Paid Maternal Leave is Associated with Infant Brain Function at 3-Months of Age

The first few months of postnatal life are critical for establishing key neural connections that support the development of subsequent social, cognitive, and linguistic skills. Yet, the United States lacks a national policy of paid family leave during this important period of early brain development, despite previous research demonstrating links between paid leave and improved maternal mental health, lower rates of infant mortality, and increases in cognitive skills during toddlerhood. The current study examined associations between paid maternal leave and infant brain function at 3-months of age using electroencephalography (EEG). Even after controlling for influential infant and family characteristics, results indicate that compared to unpaid leave, experiences of paid leave were related to distinct EEG profiles, possibly reflecting more mature patterns of brain activity. Findings from this study support past work demonstrating the benefits of paid leave on infant cognitive development and extend this work into early neural functioning. Together with past research, this work suggests that policy interventions mandating paid family leave may lead to reductions in sociodemographic health disparities and set the stage for healthy neurocognitive development.