Toddler: Difference between revisions

It was already long-known that markedly late achieving [[developmental milestones]] is related to disability or [[Mental Retardation|mental retardation]]. However, it was thought that within the normal population no relationship between the age of passing developmental milestones and later intelligence is given. It was found only in recent years that early passing of developmental milestones indicates in general a higher intelligence. A study of 2007 based on more than 5,000 children born in the United Kingdom in 1946 showed that for every month earlier a child learned to stand, there was a gain of one half of one intelligence quotient point at age 8.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Murray GK, Jones PB, Kuh D, Richards M | title = Infant developmental milestones and subsequent cognitive function | journal = Annals of Neurology | volume = 62 | issue = 2 | pages = 128–36 | date = August 2007 | pmid = 17487877 | pmc = 3465788 | doi = 10.1002/ana.21120 }}</ref> Also a later 2018 study found a relationship between milestone achievement and intelligence in adulthood (in this case, the milestone used was being able to name objects/animals in pictures at less than 18 months, 18-24 months, and later than 24 months).<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Flensborg-Madsen T, Mortensen EL | title = Developmental milestones during the first three years as precursors of adult intelligence | journal = Developmental Psychology | volume = 54 | issue = 8 | pages = 1434–1444 | date = August 2018 | pmid = 30047773 | doi = 10.1037/dev0000545 | s2cid = 51718533 }}</ref> The IQ of children who were able to form a sentence at less than 24 months of age averaged 107 points, whereas children who were able to form a sentence later than 24 months of age in young adulthood (20-34 years old) had an average IQ of 101.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Flensborg-Madsen T, Mortensen EL | title = Associations of Early Developmental Milestones With Adult Intelligence | journal = Child Development | volume = 89 | issue = 2 | pages = 638–648 | date = March 2018 | pmid = 28198006 | doi = 10.1111/cdev.12760 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Early passing developmental milestones up and the head circumference to the age of 3 years explained about 6% variance in IQ in adulthood. In comparison, parental socioeconomic status and the child's sex explained about 23% of the variance in IQ.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Flensborg-Madsen T, Falgreen Eriksen HL, Mortensen EL | title = Early life predictors of intelligence in young adulthood and middle age | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 15 | issue = 1 | pages = e0228144 | date = 2020-01-28 | pmid = 31990952 | pmc = 6986721 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0228144 | bibcode = 2020PLoSO..1528144F }}</ref> However, experts advise against rushing children through milestones, as long as they’re reaching them within a normal range.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Early Milestones, Smarter Child?|url=https://babysparks.com/2019/02/15/early-milestones-smarter-child/|access-date=2021-06-20|language=en-US}}</ref>