Kids cared for by grandparents may have poorer health

By Stephen Beech

Children regularly looked after by their grandparents tend to have poorer health, according to new research.

Well-being issues were most common among boys and children between five and 11 years old, often cared for by their grandma or grandad, say scientists.

They say their findings may reflect differences in daily routines and activities between care provided by grandparents and that offered in formal daycare or after-school settings.

The study, published in the journal Health Economics, was based on data from more than 11,000 children and nearly 9,000 parents in Germany.

Researchers used geographic distance between families and grandparents to identify the effects of regular grand parental care.

The findings indicated that regular childcare provided by grandparents can ease the pressures on parents, but may have some negative impacts on children’s health.

Mothers reported higher satisfaction with both their leisure time and childcare situations - by 11% and 9%, respectively - when grand parental care was available.

Fathers also had a 19% increase in satisfaction with childcare.

Some children regularly cared for by grandparents tended to have poorer general health, at least in the health measures that were available for analysis.

Study corresponding author Elena Ziege, of the Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB) in Wiesbaden, Germany, said: “The findings highlight the central role of grandparental care in families' caregiving arrangements and the meaningful benefits it provides to parents of young children.”