Research-backed
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Babies are generally born in different shapes and sizes. It is something parents have no control over. One such thing is the shape of a baby’s head. Some head shapes, like the oblique ones, caused due to passing through the birth canal during a vaginal delivery, shrink to a normal size later on. However, if a baby has a relatively big head which makes it impossible for the mother to push through, then the doctors might conduct an emergency C-section in such situations. And such babies continue to retain this size of their head. One of the reasons for this is genetics too, thus the big head size.
Wait! Before you start cursing yourself for giving your baby a big head, which you dread would probably make him/her a butt of jokes, here’s the best part. Your genes might have given your baby more than just a big head – a bigger brain to fit in! Of course, there is a solid reason why we’re making such a statement about the big-headed babies today. Because it is science which has come to the rescue of our big-headed little ones!
What Does The Research Say?
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A research conducted by the UK Biobank shows that babies who are born with bigger heads will turn out to be smarter and, in all likelihood, excel in further education as well. A health resource, the UK Biobank stores data of nearly 500,000 Britons in the age group of 37 to 73 years. These findings were specific to almost 100,000 subsets. The larger focus of the research itself was to discover a link between physical and mental health, genetics, and the eventual path of the individual in life. In short, it basically aimed to arrive at a formula of sorts where, just by analyzing a person’s genetic, physical, and mental aspects, one would be able to predict his/her eventual path of life. Not only that but also how well that person would perform in his/her chosen path or field (1).
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A number of cognitive tests, both physical and mental, were conducted during the research and the test scores were analyzed. While a lot of factors were considered for this, the baby’s head circumference was also an integral part of this complex and large study. The researchers found a significantly high association between the cognitive test scores and the polygenic profile scores. Major diseases, intracranial volume, infant head circumference, childhood cognitive ability, and body mass index were all brought under the polygenic profile tests.
Big Heads = Better IQ?
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While working on the comparative analysis of the test scores, the researchers found that a large head circumference also meant that there was a greater amount of intracranial volume. The polygenic profiles of both, the big head circumference and greater intracranial volume, together showed a significant association with higher scores in verbal-numerical reasoning and an increased likelihood of a college degree.
Having said this, it is also important to note that the head size of a person is not the only criteria for a better IQ. Nature (genes) and nurturing (mental and physical health) together play a major role in how a person shapes up in the future. So, just because a study has come up with a substantial amount of proof (to a larger extent), it certainly does not mean that babies with a smaller head circumference are any less.
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It may take many more studies and probably some more years for science to arrive at conclusive results. Until that happens, never let anything come in the way of how you choose to nurture your baby with all the love and care, irrespective of the head size. In the meanwhile, let all of us join in and celebrate this little bit of happy news for our big-headed babies! Way to go boys and girls!!
