title: Associations of Linear Growth and Relative Weight Gain in Early Life with Human Capital at 30 Years of Age.
abstract: To assess the associations of birthweight, nutritional status and growth in childhood with IQ, years of schooling, and monthly income at 30 years of age.
  
  
  
  In 1982, the 5 maternity hospitals in Pelotas, Brazil, were visited daily and 5914 live births were identified. At 30 years of age, 3701 subjects were interviewed. IQ, years of schooling, and income were measured.
  
  
  
  On average, their IQ was 98 points, they had 11.4 years of schooling, and the mean income was 1593 reais. After controlling for several confounders, birthweight and attained weight and length/height for age at 2 and 4 years of age were associated positively with IQ, years of years of schooling, and income, except for the association between length at 2 years of age and income. Conditional growth analyses were used to disentangle linear growth from relative weight gain. Conditional length at 2 years of age ≥1 SD score above the expected value, compared with ≥1 SD below the expected, was associated with an increase in IQ (4.28 points; 95% CI, 2.66-5.90), years of schooling (1.58 years; 95% CI, 1.08-2.08), and monthly income (303 Brazilian reais; 95% CI, 44-563). Relative weight gain, above what would be expected from linear growth, was not associated with the outcomes.
  
  
  
  In a middle-income setting, promotion of linear growth in the first 1000 days of life is likely to increase adult IQ, years of schooling, and income. Weight gain in excess of what is expected from linear growth does not seem to improve human capital.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil. Electronic address: blhorta@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Bernardo Lessa
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Horta
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cesar G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Victora
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Christian Loret
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: de Mola
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quevedo
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Tavares
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gigante
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Janaina Vieira Dos Santos
authors.initials: JVDS
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Barros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001835:Body Weight; D001938:Brazil; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012923:Social Class; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: childhood growth; income; intelligence; intrauterine growth; schooling