Study: Pregnant Mothers' Weight Linked to Kids' IQ
- 12 years ago
According to a study, a mother's weight is linked to her kid's IQ.
A new report suggests that mothers who are overweight give birth to children with slightly lower average IQ scores.
Researchers from the Institute of ChildHealth at University College London used data from almost 20 thousand children in the United Kingdom as part of a national study.
Standard tests were given to children, and the difference was shown to be an IQ score that was about a 1.5 point lower if the children’s mother was overweight before the pregnancy.
But many scientists are disputing whether the study actually proves that there is any correlation between the intelligence of a child and the mother’s pregnancy weight.
Doctor Ryan Van Lieshout, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario said: “You can't conclude from this that women should try to attain a healthy weight before pregnancy in order to improve their child's cognition."
Obesity before or during pregnancy can also increase the chance of a Caesarean section and it can be responsible for growth problems, or an unhealthy birth weight for the newborn child.
Other risks include the child being born with an abnormal nervous system, or even a higher risk of having a stillbirth.
A new report suggests that mothers who are overweight give birth to children with slightly lower average IQ scores.
Researchers from the Institute of ChildHealth at University College London used data from almost 20 thousand children in the United Kingdom as part of a national study.
Standard tests were given to children, and the difference was shown to be an IQ score that was about a 1.5 point lower if the children’s mother was overweight before the pregnancy.
But many scientists are disputing whether the study actually proves that there is any correlation between the intelligence of a child and the mother’s pregnancy weight.
Doctor Ryan Van Lieshout, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario said: “You can't conclude from this that women should try to attain a healthy weight before pregnancy in order to improve their child's cognition."
Obesity before or during pregnancy can also increase the chance of a Caesarean section and it can be responsible for growth problems, or an unhealthy birth weight for the newborn child.
Other risks include the child being born with an abnormal nervous system, or even a higher risk of having a stillbirth.