Possible Birth Order Effects: On Intelligence, Sexuality, Personality And Health, According To Science

Are you the eldest, middle or youngest child in your family? Do you believe that where you fit in the birth order of your family has effects on who and what you are as a person?

According to Yahoo Parenting, there are certain predictions that science can make on a person's intelligence, sexuality, personality and health based on the siblings' birth order. The article points out that the following are just trends and predictions and not rules or prophecies that cannot be bent and broken.

So how does birth order affect a person's intelligence? A study says that firstborn children get higher scores in IQ tests because they are the ones who receive more attention, focus and expectations from their parents. They are also more likely to be exposed to talking with adults as well as teaching and mentoring their younger siblings.

When it comes to sexuality, a study in PubMed says that males with many older brothers are more likely to be attracted to people of the same sex. It also says that this prediction is not statistically relevant for females.

Personality-wise, the eldest is usually the most reliable and disciplined; middle children are the mediators; and the youngest is the funniest and most care-free, according to the article. The firstborn children are usually the "most reliable and disciplined" among siblings because they were the ones exposed to the strictest rules and guidelines before the parents started to loosen up.

Middle children become mediators because although they do not get subjected to as much strictness as the eldest child, they also do not get as much leeway on the rules as much as the youngest child. The youngest child is usually the funny and care-free one because he or she is the most pampered among the siblings and the parents give them more "freedom" when it comes to house rules.

Other studies show the correlation between birth order and health issues. Younger siblings are more associated with accidents while breast cancer and being overweight affect the eldest more. The reasons for these statistical correlations are not entirely known.

Psychology Today advises parents to help their children not be affected by the perceived birth order effects on the different aspects of a person. "The moral of the story for parents is to look for your own biases and stereotypes about birth order as you think about what your children are capable of doing. Encourage them to teach each other, define their own identities in the family, and avoid labeling themselves based on their birth order."