IQ a Better Predictor of Adult Economic Success than Maths


· IQ in childhood is a better indicator of adult wealth than maths for very preterm and very low-weight babies, according to a new study in PLOS One.

· Many preterm children demonstrating cognitive impairments attend mainstream schools, it also provides an opportunity to develop strategies for ensuring that they receive best support for their learning progress.

· The better their learning progress the more likely they are to have economic success in adult life.

General cognitive but not mathematic abilities predict very preterm and healthy term born adults’ wealth

Very preterm (<32 weeks gestation; VP) and/or very low birth weight (<1500g; VLBW) children often have cognitive and mathematic difficulties. It is unknown whether VP/VLBW children’s frequent mathematic problems significantly add to the burden of negative life-course consequences over and above effects of more general cognitive deficits. Our aim was to determine whether negative consequences of VP/VLBW versus healthy term birth on adult wealth are mediated by mathematic abilities in childhood, or rather explained by more general cognitive abilities.

Transition as a topic in psychiatry training throughout Europe: trainees’ perspective

The majority of adolescents with mental health problems do not experience continuity of care when they reach the transition boundary of their child and adolescent mental health service. One of the obstacles for a smooth transition to adult mental health services concerns the lack of training for health-care professionals involved in the transition process. This study aims to seek psychiatric trainees’ opinions regarding training on transition and the knowledge and skills required for managing transition.

Differential susceptibility effects of maternal sensitivity in childhood on small for gestational age adults’ wealth

Being born small for gestational age (SGA) is considered a developmental vulnerability. Alternatively, SGA may be viewed as a marker for individual susceptibility to environmental experiences. The aim was to test if individuals born SGA are more susceptible to both negative and positive environmental experiences assessed by sensitive parenting in childhood compared with those born appropriate for gestational age (AGA).