Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion On time babies have higher intelligence?

Maybe to some extent, but I think the primary reason for the effect may be that low-IQ parents are more likely to have a child out wedlock -- in a study by Murray and Herrnstein, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Curve , 32% of the mothers with IQ < 75 were unwed, compared to only 2% of the mothers with IQ > 125 -- and that IQ is about 75% heritable in the U.S. (and in Canada, I'd guess). Therefore children born out of wedlock tend to be less intelligent.

My DD5 was also born four weeks early and has always been significantly ahead. She was also born after a long, difficult labor and was blue and needed oxygen. I have wondered how any of that affected her.

DS 14, my only bio-child, was born on the first day of the 36th week. I had a threatened miscarriage at 6 weeks, and was on bedrest for three weeks, then allowed up, and was back on bedrest and medication for pre-term labor from 5 1/2 months on. He had breathing problems at birth, and spent a few days in the NICU on oxygen and a slant board, came home for a few days, and then spent another week in the hospital with apnea of prematurity. He has verbal IQ scores above the DYS cutoff, an AS diagnosis, and multiple visual and motor issues. Are some of his disabilities related to the prematurity? Possibly, although the direction of the casual arrow is difficult to assess for sure.

Interesting, I'm not sure I'd ever really heard or paid attention to this.

DS was born at just past 37 weeks after preterm labor starting at 30 weeks - including 18 days in the hospital (32.5-35 weeks). He had a traumatic birth and had head trauma as well. He is definitely gifted but may have some other stuff going on - we've always said he had the preemie problems but wasn't the preemie.

DD was born at 29 weeks after preterm labor starting at 23 weeks - including 18 days in the hospital (26.5-29 weeks). She had an easy delivery and then spent 45 days in the NICU having many many feeding and intestinal issues. While physically delayed early on she has since fully caught up and while we haven't had her tested I would say she is most likely gifted - just differently then her brother. She is also on the taller/larger side compared to many of the other kids her age (or even a bit older).

It probably really depends on alot of factors we can't gauge accurately. My older son was born at 42 weeks (grrr...) after a difficult birth. He ended up having this weird birth defect called craniosynostosis, where the soft spot is closed at birth. It can be associated with a whole host of long-term learning disabilities. He had major reconstructive skull surgery at 3 months of age.
Because of that, I worried ALOT about him and talked constantly to him as a baby and toddler, etc. At 6, he aced the WISC, esp. the verbal section. He's deaf in one ear (?from the birth defect? We don't really know) and wears a hearing aid and FM system. He's way above grade level across the board, thank god.
My little one popped right out. No birth defects, etc. Yet his verbal IQ (and skills) are not as good as his brother! In retrospect, I think we focused soooo much on the big one that we a bit neglected the "easy" little one!
So who knows!
We are trying to do more verbal things with my little one.