Why being first-born is the perfect head start

FIRST-BORN children’s head start in life begins even before they come into the world.

Research reveals mothers neglect subsequent offspring in the womb – being more likely to drink and smoke during second and further pregnancies.

After birth, they are less likely to breastfeed or give the child their full attention. This may help explain how parents favouring the first-born blights the lives of those who follow.

The study, co-authored by Dr Ana Nuevo-Chiquero of Edinburgh University’s School of Economics, said: ‘A plausible explanation of the negative relation between birth order and adult education and employment outcomes is a broad shift in parenting attitudes and focus from the first-born to latter-born children that starts before the children are born.

‘These broad shifts in parental behaviour appear to set latterborn children on a lower path for cognitive development and academic achievement, with lasting impact on adult outcomes.’

The paper, published in the Journal of Human Resources, concluded: ‘These systematic differences in prenatal and postnatal maternal behaviour by birth order suggest an important and broad shift in mothers’ attitudes and investments toward their latter-born children.’

The study followed 12,686 men and women, born in the US between 1956 and 1965.