Your Tall Baby Will Earn More Later In Life
Christopher Philip
Researchers from University of Southampton and Finland’s National Public Health Institute that followed 4,630 boys born in Finland between 1934 and 1944 has found that babies who are taller on their first birthday are likely to earn more later in life than babies who are shorter. This is according to research published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal.
In fact, by middle-age, men who were 80 cms earned 50% more than their peers who were 72 cms or less.
Even when the researchers stripped away socioeconomic factors, each 2 cms accounted for 3.5% in income. Shorter babies were also more likely to be doing manual work. In fact, 44% of babies who were 72 cms or less became labourers compared to just one in five who were more than 80 cms.
The researchers thus conclude that height at first birthday is a good predictor of future earning potential.
The babies that grow more slowly also achieved lower academic attainment. This might be due to poorer nutrition which stymied both physical and mental growth or may be an indicator of poorer health overall.
The researcher David Barker, hopes that people would realize just how important the first year of life was to young boys.
It’s also important to note that while there is a strong correlation between height and overall achievement, height is not a prerequisite to achievement.
Resources
D.J.P. Barker; J.G. Eriksson; T. Forsén; C. Osmond. Infant growth and income 50 years later. Archives of Disease in Childhood.2005. 90(3): 272-273.