Heavier Babies Do Better in School

A full incubation-period is a positive.

I hate stories like this. This is an observation - Weight correlates with school performance. This is a hypothesis:



It is one possible explanation for the observation. It could also be that there is a correlation between genetic factors impacting baby weight and school performance. It could be that parents with more money have better pre-birth healthcare alternatives and so have heavier babies. It could be that low weight births due to maternal health issues correlate or any number of other things. All of those other possible hypotheses are ignored and one completely untested hypothesis is presented as fact. Engineers who do that around here find themselves out of a job, not getting articles in the NY Times.

It's an interesting observation though.

Yes, it is.

All other things constant, it's been observed over the years, that full-term babies have fewer health problems, or health-related problems than do babies born premature.

At birth, full term babies weigh more than babies born premature.

Another interesting point. The article talks 10 pound babies: "Mr. Figlio estimates that, all else equal, a 10-pound baby will score an average of 80 points higher on the 1,600-point SAT than a six-pound baby." The average baby weight is 7.5 pounds. A 7.5lb baby is not going to get to ten by staying in the womb longer at a quarter pound a week. What else is it that makes a ten pound child. The article completely overlooks that aspect.

Exactly! Have premies been removed from the data since there is a well known health effect to preterm births? The article skews towards a simple answer to a complex question.

We need a real science press in this country with reporters who understand science, statistics and the scientific method. We are far from that.

Yes, many variables haven't been considered. In the article, among many other factors, the author noted that babies born to high school dropouts do less well in school than do babies born to college graduates and this difference is more pronounced, when 10 pound babies are compared to babies born at a lower weight.