“Eat more! So I can have a big fat boy!”
Jasmine (pseudonym) used to hear this sentence most frequently after her pregnancy. She distinctly complained to her mother-in-law that she could not eat any more. She was constantly packed with a lot of food, including pig’s trotters soup, brown sugar eggs, and old hen soup. . . . . . Every meal was passed on with the words “eat more, one person to make up for two”. Despite the doctor repeatedly warning the fetus was too large during the prenatal check-up, the mother-in-law always said that “big fat boys are smart”.
But jasmine really didn’t have the willpower to stand against her mother-in-law, as a result, in her second trimester of pregnancy, she gained dozens of pounds and was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes. At delivery, they had to do a cesarean section because the fetus was too large. The baby weighed over 10 pounds was taken to the intensive care unit because of hypoglycemia.
I. The bigger the birth weight, the smarter it is?
A lot of people believe that the heavier the baby at birth, the better it is, not only more robust but also smarter, however, is there a scientific basis for this statement?
The truth is, babies are not smarter the bigger they weigh. Actually, the overweight situation can easily lead to a number of health issues such as possible hypoglycemia, polycythemia, and so on and the mother will have a harder time giving birth and may also experience dystocia and torn birth canal.
However, there is a number of scientific studies that deal with IQ level and weight of newborns.
One Danish study published in the journal “Pediatrics” of the American Academy of Pediatrics is the study of 4,696 babies and their data includes the newborn’s weight. It also tested their IQ in three age groups: 19, 28, and 50 years old.
By the analysis, it was revealed that there was a connection between birth weight and the intelligence of the main nodes in the three follow-ups. Infants with a birth weight of 2.5 ~ 4 kg have higher IQ test scores the heavier they are, however, with the weight of < 2.5 kg and > 4 kg, IQ test scores go down slightly.
Let us emphasize, the The study is just an observation, not very clear on the mechanism that links the two, but it is more like a reference and should not be overinterpreted.
The formation of human IQ is a very complicated process, where genetics is the main factor. Brain cell growth and differentiation in the embryo stage will set up the basic brain structure, but environmental, educational, and other factors are inseparably connected as well. A baby’s birth weight is more a sign of how the baby got the nutrients in the mother’s body.
2. Correctly understand the baby’s birth weight
Based on “Chinese Guidelines for Clinical Application of Neonatal Nutritional Support” data, the weight range of a full-term newborn is 2.5~4 kg, and the most ideal weight is 2.5~3 kg.
A newborn weighing less than 2.5 kg may be due to pregnancy-induced hypertension, diabetes, anemia, malnutrition, and other factors that can lower blood flow in the uteroplacental area and affect fetal growth.
Newborns become underweight and have a significant drop in stamina during labor, which can cause suffocation. And “this type of baby has a poor ability to store nutrients.” Hypoglycemia and anemia occur more easily.
While babies weighing > 4 kg may be related to gestational diabetes. Diabetes in pregnancy will continuously put the fetus in a high blood sugar environment. The fetus gives insulin, insulin-like growth factors, and growth hormones, which will result in the increase of fat deposits. It could also be due to the excess of nutrition during pregnancy and genetic factors.
Overweight babies, the chance of dystocia increases significantly, and the damage to pregnant women increases. It may be the time when the fetus goes through the birth canal that it is too big to cause intracranial hemorrhage, clavicle fracture, etc., hypoglycemia is also likely to happen after birth and so are respiratory distress and polycythemia.
3. Research has found that: Will the month of birth affect a child’s IQ?
Harvard University researchers measured the weight, height, intelligence, etc., of children born in different months and found that children born between September and January of the following year were better. However, this difference, which may be caused by confounding factors such as the age of enrolment, is of very limited practical significance.
There are three factors that really affect IQ, one is genetics that account for about 40%, if the parents have high IQs, the baby’s IQ may also be higher; second, the growing environment, physical exercise, diet, and sleep that will affect development; thirdly, healthcare during pregnancy, a reasonable diet during pregnancy and a comfortable mood may affect fetal IQ.
Regarding the outcome of the study, it is also related to the fact that there are some benefits in nature, diet, etc. during these months. Don’t get too tangled up in it, the acquired efforts are even more important for your baby’s intellectual development.
Child IQ is influenced by many factors but mainly, it is not that the bigger the weight, the smarter it is. Pregnant ladies are required to take their weight strictly under control. Being overweight can lead to a series of health problems and is a great threat to their own health and that of the fetus.
Disclaimer: The following image/content has been generated by an Artificial Intelligence model and is not a photograph or a traditional human creation.
Naresh Trehan is an Indian cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon. After graduating from King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, India, he went on to practice at New York University Medical Center, Manhattan, USA from 1971 to 1988. He returned to India and started Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre.
