New Study: First-born children are much smarter than their siblings

WARNING: If you’re the youngest or middle child in your family, be prepared - new research shows that your older sibling is more intelligent than you.

Research has shown that first-born children are more likely to be smarter than their younger brothers and sisters - news that’s sure to start squabbles all over the country. 

The report from the University of Sydney and the University of Edinburgh, Analysis Group has revealed that first-borns have a higher IQ as well as better thinking skills - and the signs can be seen as early as the age of one. 

It’s believed the findings could be the result of first born kids receiving more mental stimulation and undivided attention from their parents.

The study also found that all children received the same amount of emotional support and love from their parents, but the increased one-on-one time with first borns boosted their thinking skills. 

The study used information collected by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and examined nearly 5,000 children - finding that first-borns scored higher on various testing, and often went onto better jobs and wages. 

‘Our results suggest that broad shifts in parental behaviour are a plausible explanation for the observed birth order differences in education and labour market outcomes,’ says Dr Ana Nuevo-Chiquero, from Edinburgh University.

There is a downside to being the eldest, though! Another study revealed that first-born sisters often put on more weight than their younger sisters. The research - which studied 13,000 pairs of sisters over 20 years - found that older sisters are 40% more likely to be obese and 29% more likely to be overweight than their younger sisters. Yikes!