Babies are getting smaller:
According to Shirley S. Wang (Shirley.Wang@wsj.com) a Harvard study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, shows birth weights of babies in the United States fell between 1990 and 2005.  Since 1940, pretty close to the start of the baby boom, they had been rising.  That could be better maternal care and better nutrition.  It could also, of course mean that as genetic diversity increased, so did baby weight from “hybrid vigor,” whatever that is.  But then over the next fifteen years there was a drop of almost two ounces.  That might not seem like much, but it could continue.  I make bold to insert a graph from the article: (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704423204575017471267586344.html)

The drop appeared to be greatest among educated white women in their twenties with good prenatal care.  Now that sounds like the birds are coming home to roost.  It sounds like other things we hear of – increasing premature births, decreasing male development, more maternal deaths and, of course, falling fertility.  It sounds like it’s all part of a pattern.  Increase genetic diversity and reproductive success delines.

There have been 3,305 visitors so far.

Home page.