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Study: Maternal Infections Have Minimal Impact on Kids' IQ

8/15/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A Danish study in PLOS Medicine indicates maternal infections during pregnancy have minimal impact on children's cognitive development.
Researchers analyzed data from over 250,000 siblings, finding no significant differences in school performance or IQ related to maternal infections or antibiotic use.
The study highlights sibling comparisons as a method to reduce social biases in research findings.

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Story summary

A Danish study in PLOS Medicine indicates maternal infections during pregnancy have minimal impact on children's cognitive development.
Researchers analyzed data from over 250,000 siblings, finding no significant differences in school performance or IQ related to maternal infections or antibiotic use.
The study highlights sibling comparisons as a method to reduce social biases in research findings.