Exposure to the flu virus during the first semester of pregnancy can have a negative effect on your child's intelligence. This is apparent from recent research by scientists who have studied the population in Norway and Hong Kong.
The scientists discovered that if you are exposed to the flu virus before birth, your IQ is on average three to seven points lower by the age of 20.
Scientists studied the population in Norway and Hong Kong after a flu epidemic in 1969, when 15 to 40 percent of the population was infected. Twenty years later, the scientists examined the IQ of 200,000 men in these countries. Taking into account numerous factors, those born six months after the outbreak of the flu outbreak were found to score lower on IQ and other mental tests.
Previous research has already shown that the consumption of alcohol, unhealthy food, tobacco and drugs during pregnancy influence the development of the fetus' brains. The new study now suggests that the flu during pregnancy affects children's mental abilities later in life.
