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Birth weight and cognitive function at age 11 years: the Scottish Mental Survey 1932
S D Shenkin1, J M Starr, A Pattie
1Geriatric Medicine, Department of Clinical and Surgical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 21 Chalmers Street, Edinburgh EH3 9EW, UK.
Insights
Higher birth weight and social class independently predict better cognitive function in children. These factors showed distinct effects on cognitive ability at age 11.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Pediatric health
- Cognitive science
Background:
- Birth weight is a critical indicator of fetal development and early health.
- Socioeconomic factors, such as social class, are known to influence child development.
- Understanding the interplay between biological and social factors is crucial for child cognitive outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between birth weight and cognitive function at age 11.
- To determine if this relationship is independent of the child's social class.
- To analyze the combined and independent contributions of various factors to cognitive ability.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing birth records from 1921.
- Cognitive function assessed using the Moray House Test in 1932 (age 11).
- Statistical analyses included multiple regression and structural equation modeling.
Main Results:
- Mean cognitive scores increased with birth weight, even after adjusting for confounding variables.
- Social class and birth weight were significant independent predictors of cognitive function.
- Birth weight explained 3.8% and social class 6.6% of the variance in cognitive scores.
Conclusions:
- Both social class and birth weight exert independent influences on cognitive function at age 11.
- Birth weight does not appear to act as a mediator for the effect of social class on cognition.
- Longitudinal follow-up is planned to examine the long-term impact on adult cognition and health.
Aims:
To examine the relation between birth weight and cognitive function at age 11 years, and to examine whether this relation is independent of social class.
Methods:
Retrospective cohort study based on birth records from 1921 and cognitive function measured while at school at age 11 in 1932. Subjects were 985 live singletons born in the Edinburgh Royal Maternity and Simpson Memorial Hospital in 1921. Moray House Test scores from the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 were traced on 449 of these children.
Results:
Mean score on Moray House Test increased from 30.6 at a birth weight of <2500 g to 44.7 at 4001-4500 g, after correcting for gestational age, maternal age, parity, social class, and legitimacy of birth. Multiple regression showed that 15.6% of the variance in Moray House Test score is contributed by a combination of social class (6.6%), birth weight (3.8%), child's exact age (2.4%), maternal parity (2.0%), and illegitimacy (1.5%). Structural equation modelling confirmed the independent contribution from each of these variables in predicting cognitive ability. A model in which birth weight acted as a mediator of social class had poor fit statistics.
Conclusion:
In this 1921 birth cohort, social class and birth weight have independent effects on cognitive function at age 11. Future research will relate these childhood data to health and cognition in old age.