- A new study has found that some children may show signs of intelligence as babies.
- Experts say parents shouldn’t worry about this study. This is because intelligence is also influenced by the environment and parental involvement.
- Intelligence is more than just IQ. There are ways for parents to cultivate intelligence throughout their children’s lives.
New parents are famous for looking for early signs of their baby’s intelligence: first words babbling, kisses waved or thrown, triggers of recognition when they see a familiar face. Most of the time, it’s just an attempt to prove that their baby is as special as their parents know, but it may actually be possible to predict adult IQ during infancy.
A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests that babies show signs of intelligence as early as new parents are convinced they can do it. In fact, researchers have found that as early as seven months old, it may be possible to predict how well a person in their 30s will perform on cognitive tests.
So how can a baby’s brain reveal future possibilities?
How decades of twin research investigated early IQ predictions
To find out, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder recruited 500 families with twins (both fraternal and identical twins). They followed the participants at 7 and 9 months of age, then 1 year of age, and then annually until age 17, and continued every five years into their 30s.
By analyzing decades of data collected from participants, the goal was to better understand how genes and environment interact to shape child development.
By studying twins, researchers were able to determine the distinct role that genes and shared environment play. Identical twins share 100% of their genes, but fraternal twins (like regular siblings) only share about 50%, so by comparing similarities in IQ, researchers were able to deduce how much of their cognitive abilities are due to genetic factors or to common environmental factors.
Dr. Daniel Gustafson, assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and lead author of the study, said the shared environment includes “all aspects of the home, neighborhood, and school environment.”
What did this study reveal about infant intelligence?
The study found that early life (before age 3) can have a measurable and lasting impact on cognitive abilities later in life, accounting for about 10% of individual differences in IQ, Dr. Gustafson said.
To test infants’ cognition, researchers used seven scales. These include a “novelty preference” task that assesses how much time infants spend looking at new toys compared to familiar toys, vocalizations (babbling sounds infants make), visual expectations (tracking objects), tester ratings (attention, activity, mood), and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development.
While these specific infant tests (ages 7 to 9 months) predicted only a small portion of adult IQ, the study found that annual follow-up by age 3 could predict 20% of what Dr. Gustafson called “individual differences” in IQ. This prediction increased rapidly between ages 7 and 16, when genetics “start to really take hold,” he says.
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Having said that, your child’s intelligence level is do not have fixed or unavoidable
Although the genes we inherit greatly contribute to our IQ, Dr. Gustafson wants parents to know that heritability doesn’t mean “you can’t change who you become.” There are always ways to step in and learn new skills.
This study emphasizes the importance of early environment, but does not specify how Parents can best foster cognitive growth.
To help fill this gap, we spoke to psychologist Sarah Douglas, MD, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in neuropsychological assessments, and pediatrician Heather Gosnell, MD, to offer helpful suggestions.
How to foster a child’s cognitive development
Although IQ is often seen as a singular number, Dr. Douglas says it is important to view IQ as a person’s ability “within a range of traits and characteristics.” Here are some simple strategies to comprehensively foster your toddler’s cognitive development.
Changing the variety of experiences provided to children
Viewed in this way, stimulating environments may provide exposure that enhances these traits. Dr. Douglas suggests allowing young children to “spend time feeling different textures, seeing different patterns, hearing different sounds, and interacting with different people.”
She added: “It’s a good idea to provide a variety of opportunities for new experiences. If possible, provide a variety of experiences during different weeks of development so that young children have the opportunity to both learn their first skill (skill) and expand their interest in the next skill.”
Set aside time for one-on-one conversations
Gosnell says parent-child interactions are also important because “simple habits like reading, talking, and playing have a huge impact on brain development and lay the foundation for learning.”
She recommends reading to infants for 20 minutes a day and continuing this habit into early childhood to support brain development at home. You can also narrate your day to improve your language skills. And if possible, avoid screen time until 18 months. Once introduced, she says to choose high-quality programs, watch them together, and limit your viewing time to one hour a day.
Why parents shouldn’t stress about early intelligence
Note that this study does not show that intelligence is binary. They show signs of intelligence early on and either grow up to be intelligent, or not, not unintelligent. Intelligence can develop over time, starting with parents using some of the strategies outlined above.
Either way, stressing about these milestones, which are different for each child, doesn’t help.
“Don’t worry if your baby isn’t ‘progressing’ in all areas or missing a milestone, as variation in development is typical,” says Dr. Gosnell.
Slowness of speech or short attention span is also not a cause for concern. “Most late talkers catch up by age 4 to 7, especially if they understand well, are developing normally in other areas, and receive speech therapy as needed,” Gosnell said. “While young children’s attention spans are naturally very short, this is normal and does not in itself predict future attention problems.”
If in doubt, ask your healthcare provider
That said, if you are concerned about developmental delays, early intervention can give your child the best chance to reach his or her full potential. Dr. Gosnell advises talking to a pediatrician if your child “isn’t learning new skills or seems to be losing abilities they once had.”
And remember. It’s not all about IQ or intelligence. Also, it does not indicate that your child will be a good person or a productive member of society.
Dr. Douglas says, “There are personality traits that intelligence tests don’t take into account (such as kindness, empathy, conscientiousness, and being a good listener), and they are in many ways more important than the cognitive traits they measure.”
