The American study, presented last week at the World Congress of the Econometric Society in London, revealed that for every year of informal childcare by grandparents, siblings or non-relatives, children's intelligence test scores declined by nearly three per cent.
The study evaluated the impact of maternal time and income on child development in 1,519 single mothers. It found that formal childcare, such as preschool or centre-based care, has no detrimental effect.
Co-author of the report, Professor Raquel Bernal of Northwestern University, said the study suggests that separation from the mother has a negative effect, but this can be partially offset by appropriate daycare.
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