Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
Volume 170, Issue 4, Pages 447-455Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwp132
Keywords
adolescent; body mass index; child; cognition; growth; intelligence
Categories
Funding
- British Heart Foundation
- Academy of Finland
- University of Helsinki
- European Science Foundation
- EuroSTRESS program
- Paivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation
- Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation
- Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research
- Finnish Foundation for Pediatric Research
- Finnish Medical Society Duodecim
- Yrjo Jahnsson Foundation
- Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation
- Juho Vainio Foundation
- Sigrid Juselius Foundation
- Finska Lakaresallskapet
- Medical Research Council [U1475000004] Funding Source: researchfish
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Slow childhood growth is associated with poorer intellectual ability. The critical periods of growth remain uncertain. Among 2,786 Finnish male military conscripts (1952-1972) born in 1934-1944, the authors tested how specific growth periods from birth to age 20 years predicted verbal, visuospatial, and arithmetic abilities at age 20. Small head circumference at birth predicted poorer verbal, visuospatial, and arithmetic abilities. The latter 2 measures were also associated with lower weight and body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)(2)) at birth (for a 1-standard-deviation (SD) decrease in test score per SD decrease in body size >= 0.05, P's < 0.04). Slow linear growth and weight gain between birth and age 6 months, between ages 6 months and 2 years, or both predicted poorer performance on all 3 tests (for a 1-SD decrease in test score per SD decrease in growth >= 0.05, P's < 0.03). Reduced linear growth between ages 2 and 7 years predicted worse verbal ability, and between age 11 years and conscription it predicted worse performance on all 3 tests. Prenatal brain growth and linear growth up to 2 years after birth form a first critical period for intellectual development. There is a second critical period, specific for verbal development, between ages 2 and 7 years and a third critical period for all 3 tested outcomes during adolescence.
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