Nonlinear Decline in the Association between Birth Weight and Cognitive Ability from Infancy to Midlife in a Community Sample of Twins
Year: 2023
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Birth weight is a widely used indicator of prenatal experiences in models of the developmental origins of cognitive ability across the lifespan. We modeled change in the strength of the association between birth weight and cognitive ability in a sample of twins (n = 1,501; 53.1% female; 91.1% White) followed prospectively from infancy to midlife. The magnitude of the association between birth weight and cognitive ability declined exponentially from infancy (B = .59, p < .05) to midlife (B = .27, p < .05). A 1-kilogram increase in birth weight was associated with an 8.85-point increase in cognitive scores at 3 months and a 4.05-point advantage after about 2.5 years. Biometric regression models revealed that shared environmental factors accounted for the decline in the association between birth weight and cognitive ability. A small, positive within-pair association persisted into midlife. Findings support developmental origin models of cognitive ability across the lifespan.
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4388186597