How much weight a baby gains during its first month could determine its IQ, new research suggests.
Children who gain more weight, and whose heads grow quickly, during the first month of life tend to have a higher IQ when they start school, the study found.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia, found that those who put on 40% of their birth weight in the first four weeks had an IQ 1.5 points higher than those who only put on 15% of their birth weight.
Head circumference is an indicator of brain volume, so a greater increase in head circumference in a new born baby suggests more rapid brain growth.
Overall, new born children who grow faster in the first four weeks will have higher IQ scores later in life.
The study further highlights the need for successful feeding of new born babies and put special emphasis on breast-feeding in the first week of a baby’s life, which can result in children having higher IQs.
