IQ link with baby weight gain, University of Adelaide

[azureline**]

1.5 points really? unless they are going to be below 75, then what difference can it really make?

A CHILD’S IQ is linked to weight gain during their first month of life, new University of Adelaide research shows.

The researchers found babies who put on 40 per cent of their birthweight within the first four weeks had an IQ 1.5 points higher by the time they were six years old, when compared to those who put on just 15 per cent of their birthweight in the same period.

Lead author of the study, public health researcher Dr Lisa Smithers, said the study was the first of its kind to focus on IQ benefits of rapid weight gain in the first month of life for healthy newborns.

“Those children who gained the most weight scored especially high on verbal IQ at age 6. This may be because the neural structures for verbal IQ develop earlier in life, which means rapid weight gain during that neonatal period could be having a direct cognitive benefit for the child,” she said.

[polksaladallie]

so, what is the point of the research then? if it happens naturally anyway?

As I said, this probably was part of another project, and an observation which they decided was worthy on its own.  Think of the third world or the first Australians who might benefit if this leads into better nutrition advice etc.

I have been part of research projects on one subject, but resulted in 4 or 5 papers published, and each of those had parts which were valuable in their own right.

As I said, there is undoubtedly rubbish research done for $$ and so academics can justify their employment, but most is very valuable.  If there had been no research done, we would still be living in caves.

[azureline**]

As I said, this probably was part of another project, and an observation which they decided was worthy on its own.  Think of the third world or the first Australians who might benefit if this leads into better nutrition advice etc.

I have been part of research projects on one subject, but resulted in 4 or 5 papers published, and each of those had parts which were valuable in their own right.

As I said, there is undoubtedly rubbish research done for $$ and so academics can justify their employment, but most is very valuable.  If there had been no research done, we would still be living in caves.

Thanks, yes, I see that. I just worry that it will result in issues from both sides.... those that will overfeed and those that will worry more about lack of weight gain.

[poddster]

I would love to run a poll on the IQ of people on this board but I doubt that posters would be truthful 😞

[azureline**]

I would love to run a poll on the IQ of people on this board but I doubt that posters would be truthful 😞

Most people are honest.

How would you do that? not really the usual thing to have an IQ test is it?

[polksaladallie]

Thanks, yes, I see that. I just worry that it will result in issues from both sides.... those that will overfeed and those that will worry more about lack of weight gain.

I do agree with you on those points, but it is unlikely that silly people will see the research results.  It will probably not be widely publicised.

On the subject of IQ, did you know that in order for a child to have a high IQ, it is not enough for the father to have a high IQ, but the mother must have one also.

There have been some high IQ men who married good looking bimbos, thinking that their children would have the good looks of the mother and the IQ of the father, but it did not happen.

This was a research project from a long time ago, told to me by a geneticist in Brisbane.

[0z_girl]

I don't see how they could possible link that one factor of weight gain, without considering the many other influences, such as feeing method, apgar scores at birth, environmental factors (such as education), which could all influence the IQ result over time.

not sure how the results could be treated with any credibility in light of those other considerations

[polksaladallie]

I don't see how they could possible link that one factor of weight gain, without considering the many other influences, such as feeing method, apgar scores at birth, environmental factors (such as education), which could all influence the IQ result over time.

not sure how the results could be treated with any credibility in light of those other considerations

All of that would have been factored in.

[azureline**]

I don't see how they could possible link that one factor of weight gain, without considering the many other influences, such as feeing method, apgar scores at birth, environmental factors (such as education), which could all influence the IQ result over time.

not sure how the results could be treated with any credibility in light of those other considerations

Yes, I had not given it much thought from that perspective as yet. Perhaps there was more to the research that was not in the article.

[0z_girl]

I would like to see the actual study,

I was always taught that it wasn't good for babies to gain weight too quickly

[polksaladallie]

I would like to see the actual study,

I was always taught that it wasn't good for babies to gain weight too quickly

That's not too quickly.