Stuttering

Myth: The child began to stutter after the birth of his brother, because he was jealous of him.

Reality: The apparent causal relationship between the onset of stuttering and the birth of a younger brother is just chance. The frequent interval of 2-3 years between the birth of two brothers is the key to the whole explanation. Stuttering usually starts at around 2-3 years due to a natural phase of development of brain structures responsible for the automation of speech (the basal ganglia). This period coincides with the age difference that is most common between two brothers. That is due to the accidental fact that both the onset of stuttering and the most likely age difference between siblings, are around 2-3 years, there is a high probability that a child begins to stutter near the birth of her brother .