How To Raise A Smarter Child

The responsibilities that come along with parenthood are endless.

There's feeding, washing and reading the same book about bunnies over and over to a child. Plus, making enough money to provide food, shelter and coveted designer jeans; changing diapers (or finding someone else who will); and surviving 100 years of back-talk.

We make those investments in hopes of a big return: A well-adjusted and loving child. Or, even better, a well-adjusted and loving child who also happens to be a genius.

Lucky for the ambitious among us (and not so lucky, for the overwhelmed among us), experts believe that parents can help make genius happen--even if they aren't rocket scientists themselves.

Though it was once thought that intelligence was completely determined by genetics, it turns out that isn't true. The environment a child is raised in and whom a child is raised by play huge roles in determining how smart and socially adept he or she will be.

According to Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist in Naples, Fla., and author of Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten, from birth until age 3, a child has the opportunity to acquire up to 30 I.Q. points.

He says it's up to the parents to ensure their child actually gets those points by following simple advice, such as breastfeeding for at least a year, limiting early television exposure and investing in musical training for young kids.

"Babies are born with 100 billion neurons," he says. "During the first years of life, some are salvaged and the others are left to wither. We call that synaptic pruning."

While these tips make sense, not all doctors advocate them, because they can be unrealistic and make parenting even more complicated. And, of course, there is no way to guarantee that children grow up to be brilliant, charismatic and attractive--nor that those traits will bring them happiness.

Dr. Jonathan Gitlin, Roberson professor of pediatrics and genetics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says parents should turn their focus away from cultivating particular characteristics in their children.

"We need to get away from this notion that if we do x, y, z, our child will be superior," he says, "There are two things that are highly underrated in parenthood--nutrients and love."

•	How To Raise A Smarter Child Your Health Forbes.com, Wednesday, July 26, 2006 Byline: Susan Yara