Birth weight a predictor for future child development

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Birth weight a predictor for future child development

Babies who weigh more have higher verbal iq score

There is more evidence about the importance of nutrition in your child's health.

It turns out birth weight may be a predictor of future development.

Researchers in the UK have found an important difference where you'd least

expect it: Between identical twins.

By comparing the iq scores of 71 one pairs of identical twins-- average age 11--

they found that the twin who weighed more at birth had A higher verbal iq score

than the lighter twin.

It was already known that pre-natal nutrition-- and therefore birth weight--

were related to cognitive ability later in life.

This study reinforces the connection between good fetal nutrition and verbal

development.

Researchers say it's a lesson with global relevance since malnutrition among

expecting mothers is so widespread.

They add that improving the nutrition of undersized children *after* birth

showed no effect on the brain.

But time in the womb is a time of rapid brain growth when improved nutrition

showed a large impact on verbal i-q.

In other words, developing a child's mind begins with a child's development in

the womb.