Lighter babies appear to be at a significant disadvantage, which lasts well into adulthood.
A baby who has not achieved full birth weight potential may also have not reached full brain development potential Dr Marcus Richards, Medical Research Council Researchers from the Medical Research Council based at University College London examined the link between birth weight and mental ability in 3,900 babies born in 1946. The tests carried out during childhood concentrated on reading ability, arithmetic skills and non-verbal reasoning. Those carried out in adulthood focused on areas such as memory, speed and concentration. The researchers also examined the association between birth weight and educational attainment. They found that heavier babies were more likely to score better on tests of their mental ability right up to the age of 26.