If your child was born with a head that’s a little larger than average (the average newborn-head size for boys is 36cm and 35cm for girls, as reported by The Independent), then you may have a genius on your hands!
Well, perhaps not a genius, but certainly someone who may be scientifically destined to achieve academically later in life.
According to scientists studying the link between genes, IQ and general health, the size of an infant’s head could predict how smart they are.
Research published in the journal of Molecular Psychiatry compared “infant head circumference” against cognitive test scoring in more than 100,000 Britons and discovered that the bigger a child’s head was, the smarter they were.
“In addition to there being shared genetic influences between cognitive skills and some physical and mental health states, the study also found that cognitive skills share genetic influences with brain size, body shape and educational attainments,” says Professor Ian Deary of Edinburgh University.
Not only that, but researchers also collected urine, blood and saliva samples (as well as collated each participant’s backgrounds and lifestyle habits) to assess how their general health impacted their intelligence.
“The study [also] supports an existing theory which says that those with better overall health are likely to have higher levels of intelligence,” says researcher Saskia Hagenaars, as reported by Cosmopolitan.
So, the key to brainiac success? Apparently a big, healthy head…
