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First-born children most intelligent

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Marie Claire news: Career woman

If you're a first-born child, then now's the time to gloat, as according to new research you are officially more intelligent than your siblings.

The oldest child in a family is more likely to have a higher IQ and the youngest to have the lowest, say Dutch scientists.

A study in Amsterdam of 650 children tested their IQs three times until they were 18.

Lead researcher, Dorret Boomsma, revealed: 'The highest IQ scores were in children without any older siblings, followed by children with one older sibling.

'Children with two or more older siblings obtained the lowest score.'

The reason behind the results is still ambiguous, however it is believed the amount of attention parents give first-borns advances their intelligence.

If you are the baby of the family, all is not lost. Another study of 2,000 families showed that the youngest in a family is the most favoured as well as 'agreeable, sociable and creative'.

Monday 14 April 2008

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This might be true but what if you come from a step family where you might be the eldest but in birth order are actually a 3rd child?
Statistics are often a matter of statistics.
Comment by Jen on April 14 10:51

Depends whether reason is biological or nurturing. If biological then it would be the mother's firstborn child that is more intelligent.* However, if it is down to nuturing than family order would be more important, in that elder children are often made responsible for younger ones and tend to be addressed differently (more adultlike). Whereas younger ones tend to always have siblings around and, supposedly, learn to share and socialise right from the start of their lives.

*I once read survey that stated it took a woman's body 2 years to recover from birth of child and that any child born before recovery complete risked being smaller and less intelligent than it's sibling.

Comment by deejay on April 14 11:49

It could also be because the mother's body is in perfect condition the first time she becomes pregnant. She has a complete energy, vitamin, mineral and nutrient store, she is in better physical, mental and emotional state.

Compare that with the condition she is in when pregnant with a second, third or even sixth child, and you can see why the firstborn most probably ends up with the lion's share...
Comment by Haya Z on May 07 23:10