Babies Born With Big Heads Are Likely to Be More Intelligent, Study Suggests
Normally, having what you call a "big head" isn't considered a good thing. But according to new research using data from United Kingdom health resource UK Biobank, it just might be a great thing for your little ones. Babies born with larger craniums are actually likely to be smarter, according to findings reported in the Independent.
The international scientists behind the study, which was published in the journal of Molecular Psychiatry, were searching for links between genes, IQ and overall health when they made this new discovery. They collected blood, urine and saliva samples - along with information on backgrounds and lifestyle - from more than 100,000 British people and analyzed the data for any signs of connections or correlations.
During their analysis, the researchers found that people who were born with big heads were significantly more likely to earn a college degree and score higher on a verbal-numerical reasoning test. Meaning, babies born with a head circumference larger than the average of 13.5–14 inches were likely to exhibit greater intelligence later in their lives.
That's not the only factor, of course. "The study [also] supports an existing theory which says that those with better overall health are likely to have higher levels of intelligence," said researcher Saskia Hagenaars.
But when it comes to a baby's head, maybe size really does matter.
[h/t Independent]
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