Birthweight Predicts IQ: Fact or Artefact?

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhiannon Newcombe ◽  
Barry J. Milne ◽  
Avshalom Caspi ◽  
Richie Poulton ◽  
Terrie E. Moffitt
Keyword(s):  
Low Birthweight ◽  
Preventive Intervention ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
Or Genes ◽  
Lower Birthweight ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
New Evidence

AbstractIt has been shown that lower birthweight is associated with lower IQ, but it remains unclear whether this association is causal or spurious. We examined the relationship between birthweight and IQ in two prospective longitudinal birth cohorts: a UK cohort of 1116 twin pairs (563 monozygotic [MZ] pairs), born in 1994–95, and a New Zealand cohort of 1037 singletons born in 1972–73. IQ was tested with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children. Birthweight differences within MZ twin pairs predicted IQ differences within pairs, ruling out genetic and shared environmental explanations for the association. Birthweight predicted IQ similarly in the twin and nontwin cohorts after controlling for social disadvantage, attesting that the association generalized beyond twins. An increase of 1000 g in birthweight was associated with a 3 IQ point increase. Results from two cohorts add to evidence that low birthweight is a risk factor for compromised neurological health. Our finding that birthweight differences predict IQ differences within MZ twin pairs provides new evidence that the mechanism can be narrowed to an environmental effect during pregnancy, rather than any familial environmental influence shared by siblings, or genes. With the increasing numbers of low-birthweight infants, our results support the contention that birthweight could be a target for early preventive intervention to reduce the number of children with compromised IQ.

scholarly journals Estimation of Cohort Fertility Using Parity Progression Ratio

2020 ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Dhanendra Veer Shakya
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Fertility Level ◽  
Parity Progression ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Parity Progression Ratio ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cohort Fertility ◽  
Children Ever Born ◽  
Using Data

This study attempts to analyze the levels and patterns of cohort fertility in Nepal in 2016 using data on parity progression ratios (PPRs). Simple PPRs, rather than synthetic PPRs or birth history of women, are used in this study from distribution of women by age and children ever born. Data on PPRs are used from 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey to estimate cohort fertility of currently married and all women separately. Fertility is analyzed for different birth cohorts of women, specifically for birth cohorts of age groups 45-49, 20-24, 25-29, and 30-34 years, beside overall span of reproductive ages (15-49) for different purposes. The PPRs data are employed in this study in three different ways such as PPRs itself, proportion of women with at least ‘N’ number of children ever born (CEB), and cohort fertility rates. All three measures are implied to estimate cohort fertility of both currently married and all women separately. Fertility patterns are almost similar in all the three methods and other the measures show that the level of cohort fertility is still a little higher in Nepal, although it is declining gradually over time. The completed cohort fertility is estimated at around 4 in Nepal in 2016. The contribution of this article will be to check fertility level by applying this simple, but less common, method in estimating cohort fertility.

Compensatory advantage in educational transitions

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Bernardi ◽  
Moris Triventi
Keyword(s):  
Educational Outcomes ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Educational Transitions ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Transition From High School ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Simulated Scenario

In this article, first, we present new evidence on a specific type of compensatory advantage (CA) mechanism in educational transitions and attainment, whereby students from socio-economically advantaged families compensate the negative event of achieving poor grades by ignoring them and disproportionally moving on to the next level of education. Using two independent data sources, we focus on the attainment of an upper secondary degree and the transition from high school to university in Italy, investigating the role of parental education and social class in compensating for an early poor academic performance. Second, we develop a simulated scenario analysis to assess how much of the observed social background inequality is due to the educational outcomes of poorly performing students from high social backgrounds. The results are consistent with the notion that a CA mechanism is in place and show that the advantage of individuals with higher backgrounds over those from lower backgrounds is much larger among students with bad marks in earlier school stages. We estimate that at least one-third of the observed social background inequality in educational transitions in Italy can be attributed to the CA mechanism. This result is consistent across different outcomes, samples and birth cohorts, and is robust to a number of sensitivity checks.

scholarly journals Maternal reproductive history: trends and inequalities in four population-based birth cohorts in Pelotas, Brazil, 1982–2015

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i16-i25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Matijasevich ◽  
Cesar G Victora ◽  
Mariangela F Silveira ◽  
Fernando C Wehrmeister ◽  
Bernardo L Horta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Birthweight ◽  
White Women ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Reproductive History ◽  
Multiple Births ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Birth Intervals ◽  
Ethnic Inequalities ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Brazil experienced important progress in maternal and child health in recent decades. We aimed at describing secular trends as well as socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities in reproductive history indicators (birth spacing, previous adverse perinatal outcome, parity and multiple births) over a 33-year span. Methods Four population-based birth cohort studies included all hospital births in 1982, 1993, 2004 and 2015 in Pelotas, Southern Brazil. Information on reproductive history was collected through interviews. Indicators were stratified by family income quintiles and skin colour. Absolute and relative measures of inequality were calculated. Results From 1982 to 2015, the proportion of primiparae increased from 39.2% to 49.6%, and median birth interval increased by 23.2 months. Poor women were more likely to report short intervals and higher parity, although reductions were observed in all income and ethnic groups. History of previous low birthweight was inversely related to income and increased by 7.7% points (pp) over time—more rapidly in the richest (12.1 pp) than in the poorest quintile (0.4 pp). Multiple births increased from 1.7% to 2.7%, with the highest increase observed among the richest quintile and for white women (220% and 70% increase, respectively). Absolute and relative income and ethnic-related inequalities for short birth intervals increased, whereas inequalities for previous low birthweight decreased over time. Conclusions In this 33-year period there were increases in birth intervals, multiple births and reports of previous low-birthweight infants. These trends may be explained by increased family planning coverage, assisted reproduction and a rise in preterm births, respectively. Our results show that socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities in health are dynamic and vary over time, within the same location.

Proposal of a Functional Impairment Symptom Scale for Concussion

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (14) ◽  
pp. 983-988
Author(s):  
Matthew T. McCarthy ◽  
Sarah Janse ◽  
Natalie M. Pizzimenti ◽  
Anthony K. Savino ◽  
Brian Crosser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Hazard Ratio ◽  
Symptom Scale ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Sport Concussion ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Clinicians currently administer patient-reported symptom scales to quantify and track concussion symptoms. These scales are based on subjective ratings without reference to the degree of functional impairment caused by the symptoms. Our objective was to develop a concussion symptom scale based on functional impairment and compare it to a widely used concussion symptom checklist. We conducted a retrospective chart review evaluating 133 patients age 9-22 with an acute concussion who completed 2 symptom checklists at their initial visit—the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT-3) symptom evaluation (22 symptoms, 0-6 scale) and the proposed Functional Impairment Scale (22 symptoms, 0-3 scale related to degree of functional impairment). Mean total symptom score was 27.2±22.9 for Sport Concussion Assessment Tool–3 and 14.7±11.9 for the Functional Impairment Scale. Pearson correlation between the scales was 0.98 ( P < .001). Mean time from concussion to first visit was 6.9±6.2 days, and median clearance time after injury was 19 (95% CI 16-21) days. After adjusting for patient and injury characteristics, an increased score on each scale was associated with longer time to clearance (5-point increase in Sport Concussion Assessment Tool–3 hazard ratio 0.885, 95% CI 0.835-0.938, P < .001; 2.5-point increase in Functional Impairment Scale hazard ratio 0.851, 95% CI 0.802-0.902, P < .001). We propose a concussion symptom scale based on functional impairment that correlates strongly with the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool–3 scale, demonstrates a similar association with time to clearance, and may provide a more intuitive approach to monitoring how symptoms are affecting patients recovering from concussion. Future research should aim to validate this scale through a prospective longitudinal study.

scholarly journals Intergenerational Transmission of Reproductive Behavior during the Demographic Transition

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia A. Jennings ◽  
Allison R. Sullivan ◽  
J. David Hacker
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Behavior ◽  
Marital Fertility ◽  
Fertility Transition ◽  
Fertility Control ◽  
Population Database ◽  
Marriage Age ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Intergenerational Ties ◽  
Children Ever Born ◽  
New Evidence

New evidence from the Utah Population Database (updp) reveals that at the onset of the fertility transition, reproductive behavior was transmitted across generations—between women and their mothers, as well as between women and their husbands' family of origin. Age at marriage, age at last birth, and the number of children ever born are positively correlated in the data, most strongly among first-born daughters and among cohorts born later in the fertility transition. Intergenerational ties, including the presence of mothers and mothers-in-law, influenced the hazard of progressing to a next birth. The findings suggest that the practice of parity-dependent marital fertility control and inter-birth spacing behavior derived, in part, from the previous generation and that the potential for mothers and mothers-in-law to help in the rearing of children encouraged higher marital fertility.

Behavior problems at 3 and 6 years: Prevalence and continuity in full-terms and preterms

1992 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan A. Rose ◽  
Judith F. Feldman ◽  
Susan L. Rose ◽  
Ina F. Wallace ◽  
Cecelia McCarton
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Problems ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Low Birthweight ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Family Stress ◽  
Parent Rating ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Behavior Disturbance ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

AbstractResults are reported for a 3-year prospective longitudinal study of behavior problems in a group of children born at very low birthweight (<1,500 g) and a full-term control. Behavior problems were assessed with the Behavior Screening Questionnaire (BSQ) at 3 years and with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the hyperactivity index from the Conners parent and teacher scales at 6 years. The findings indicate that the preterms manifested more behavior problems than full-terms at both ages and that the overall prevalence of clinically significant problems increased with age. Although cross-age continuity on parent rating scales was similar and modest for both groups (r = .24–.35), the persistence of significant problems was quite high (50%). Early BSQ scores predicted later externalizing problems, even after the effects of prematurity, socioeconomic status, and family stress were removed, but not later internalizing problems. The latter were more strongly influenced by low SES and family stress. Findings for the full-terms, who had received the CBCL as well as the BSQ at 3 years, suggest that these two instruments may tap somewhat different dimensions of behavior disturbance at age 3.

scholarly journals 1014Maternal educational qualification and child’s birth weight: Findings from Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jitka Pikhartova ◽  
Rachel Stuchbury ◽  
Nicola Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Low Birthweight ◽  
Later Life ◽  
National Statistics ◽  
Partnership Status ◽  
Education Degree ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Lower Birthweight

Abstract Background Lower maternal education was found to be associated with lower child’s birthweight which in turn was a possible risk factor for later poor health. Presented research aims to assess the association between maternal education and singleton’s birthweight in large UK data, accounting for characteristics such child’s gender, parity, maternal age, partnership status, ethnicity, and household socioeconomic characteristics. Methods Using England and Wales Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study (ONS-LS), data from over 240,000 children born since 1981 to ONS-LS sample mothers were used. Maternal education was derived into 3 categories (below secondary, complete secondary education, degree and higher). Results Crude analysis confirmed significant association between the level of education and birthweight in each Census cohort (p &lt; 0.001). In adjusted models, the education gradient was partly explained but remained strongly significant, and substantially increased over the years: for example, the birthweight difference between those with below secondary educated mothers and those with degree increased from 29 to 92 grams (p for change&lt;0.001). Conclusions Our findings support previous evidence using different, usually smaller, population samples. Children of mothers with no or low qualification are more prone to be born with lower birthweight leading potentially into health disadvantages in their later life. Our results suggest that the inequalities in birth weight increased over the last 35 years. Key messages Low levels of maternal education predicts low birthweight in children.

scholarly journals Improving early recognition and intervention in people at increased risk for the development of bipolar disorder - Study protocol of a prospective-longitudinal, naturalistic cohort study (Early-BipoLife)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Pfennig ◽  
Karolina Leopold ◽  
Julia Martini ◽  
Anne Boehme ◽  
Martin Lambert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Preventive Intervention ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Natural Course ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Abstract Background Bipolar disorders (BD) belong to the most severe mental disorders, characterized by an early onset, predominantly recurrent/chronic course and poor psychosocial functioning. Many patients with BD experience substantial symptomatology months or even years before full BD manifestation. Adequate diagnosis and treatment is often delayed, which is associated with a worse outcome. This study aims to prospectively evaluate and improve early recognition and intervention strategies for persons at-risk for BD. Methods and Results Early-BipoLife is a prospective-longitudinal cohort study of 1419 participants (aged 15-35 years) with at least five waves of assessment over a period of at least 2 years (baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months). A research consortium of ten university and teaching hospitals across Germany conducts this study. The following risk groups (RGs) were recruited: RG I: help-seeking youth & young adults consulting early recognition centres/facilities presenting ≥1 of the proposed risk factors for BD, RG II: in-/outpatients with unipolar depressive syndrome, and RG III: in-/ outpatients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The reference cohort was selected from the German representative IMAGEN cohort. Over the study period, the natural course of risk and resilience factors, early symptoms of BD and changes of symptom severity (including conversion to manifest BD) are observed. Psychometric properties of recently developed, structured instruments on potential risk factors for conversion to BD and subsyndromal symptomatology (Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Scale, Bipolar at-risk criteria, EPI bipolar ) and biomarkers that potentially improve prediction are investigated. Moreover, actual treatment recommendations are monitored in the participating specialized services and compared to recently postulated clinical categorization and treatment guidance in the field of early BD. Conclusion Findings from this study will contribute to an improved knowledge about the natural course of BD, from the onset of first noticeable symptoms (precursors) to fully developed BD, and about mechanisms of conversion from subthreshold to manifest BD. Moreover, these generated data will provide information for the development of evidence-based guidelines for early-targeted detection and preventive intervention for people at risk for BD.

scholarly journals The Role of Fertility in the Demography of Grandparenthood: Evidence from Italy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Di Gessa ◽  
Valeria Bordone ◽  
Bruno Arpino
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Intergenerational Transfers ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Age At First Birth ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Italian Survey ◽  
Fertility Differentials ◽  
Compositional Changes

Abstract Grandparents play an important role in their family’s lives. However, little is known about the demography of grandparenthood. Given dramatic recent changes in fertility, we explore the role of number of children and age at first birth in the timing of the transition into grandparenthood focusing on Italy, a country with well-known North-South fertility differentials. We used data from the 2009 Italian Survey ‘Family and Social Relations’ (N = 10,186) to estimate median ages of grandparenthood across three birth cohorts of parents (1920–29; 1930–39; 1940–49). Findings show an overall postponement of age of grandparenthood of 5 years, shifting for women from early to mid- or late-50s (in the South and North, respectively). Such postponement is largely driven by family compositional changes: although the age of grandparenthood among mothers of three or more children has not changed much over cohorts, the percentage of mothers with such characteristic decreased significantly. The heterogeneity in experiencing the transition to grandparenthood has implications for intergenerational transfers and other roles in later life.

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