The Simpsons fans stunned after finding out why Maggie was scanned in opening credits

Did you know there's a reason why Maggie is scanned during the opening credits of The Simpsons?

The iconic cartoon featuring America's most recognisable family has been a staple of televisions across the world since 1989, and we're well aware of how the show's opening credits goes after many years watching as children.

Although the sequence would differ every know again, with nods to shows such as Game of Thrones and halloween special episodes, the main essence would always remain the same.

Bart would be writing lines on a chalkboard, Lisa is playing the saxophone, Homer is ignoring safety regulations at the town's Nuclear Power Plant and Marge is out food shopping with Maggie. The family all then make their way home to the famous brown sofa before the main episode would begin.

It's an intro we've all seen hundreds of times but likely paid little attention to, but have you ever wondered what the reason is for having Maggie scanned at the supermarket checkout?

Upon first glance it seems like the youngster has ended up crawling amongst the groceries after Marge tried to get a moment to herself and read a magazine. But it turns out that there's actually a pretty cool easter egg behind the decision.

In the earlier seasons, the number $847.63 would flash up on the till after Maggie is scanned, which was the monthly estimated cost for raising a child in the US back in 1989.

Later episodes have since seen the creators give up on estimating the constantly rising cost of having a child, with a more recent intro seeing Maggie double the bill from $243.26 to $486.52.

Unfortunately the cost of raising a child hasn't gone down in the past few decades, but the message still remains the same. Having kids is expensive.

The Simpsons is reminding us that having kids isn't cheap. (Disney)

The inclusion makes perfect sense when you remember that The Simpsons are meant to be representative of the average American family life, which is why the fictional family have never aged, despite being on the air for a whopping 34 seasons.

The Simpsons even explores the economic impact of how many children a couple could having during season 6.

In the episode 'And Maggie Makes Three' Homer is forced to leave his dream job at the bowling alley and return to work at Springfield Power Plant - under the employ of the greedy Mr Burns - as his salary is no longer able to support is growing family.

While the episode gives us the fan-favourite and much memed 'Do it for her' moment it also serves as a reminder of the hard decisions many families face when it comes to having children.