There could be a way of predicting – and preventing – which children will go on to have low intelligence, according to the findings of a study presented by researchers at Cardiff University. They discovered that children with two copies of a common gene (Thr92Ala), together with low levels of thyroid hormone are four times more likely to have a low IQ. This combination occurs in about 4% of the UK population.
Importantly, if you had just one of these factors, but not both, there did not appear to be an increased risk of low intelligence. These are early results, but suggest that it might be possible to treat children early with thyroid hormone supplementation to enhance their intelligence. This raises many ethical issues.
Read the full, original story: Genetic Screening to Enhance IQ Should Be Embraced
