The Naked Scientist: The unseen impact of being the 'other' child

Relebogile Mabotja hosts The Naked Scientist · 11 May 2026 · 14m

Speaker 1: The Naked Scientist. Speaker 2: Time for the Naked Scientists with doctor Chris Smith O double one double A three Speaker 2: oh seven oh two the WhatsApp line oh seven two seven oh two one seven Speaker 2: oh two Doctor Chris Smith and our Parenting and Parents feature. We were talking about Speaker 2: medical conditions. So we're talking cancer, We're talking it could be mental, but something that Speaker 2: diverts all the attention to the other kids. Speaker 1: Are there any. Speaker 2: Studies you have read of that speak to the impact of being the other child Speaker 2: in the home. We're already got examples from listeners, the one saying another child was Speaker 2: going to be conceived for a child that urgently needed stemselves, so. Speaker 1: They needed that umbilical cord. Speaker 2: And another listener saying they were in a home where a sixteen year old was Speaker 2: unwell and and the twelve year old was also a caregiver. Speaker 3: Hmmm, it's a really good question. I don't know if the evidence space because I've Speaker 3: never been asked that or already delved into, but common sense and a little bit Speaker 3: of personal experience says that, yes, there almost certainly is a huge impact potentially if Speaker 3: you let there be one. I'm aware of a person who had a brother who Speaker 3: needed a lot of hospital care growing up because of a brain problem, and the Speaker 3: older child had to spend a lot of time with grandma. They had an excellent Speaker 3: relationship with grandma, and if you look at how that person turned out, they've actually

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