Scientists have explained why girls learn faster than boys

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A new study from the University of Alberta, which observed 400 infants, found that certain intestinal bacteria (Bacteroidetes) help boys improve cognitive and language skills.

“It is well known that girls have higher cognitive and language performance at an early age,” says Anita Kozyrska, professor of pediatrics and head of the study.

Differences in the microbiome of boys and girls are insignificant, but the number of Bacteroidetes is usually higher in girls. Kozyrska notes that this may be the key to the girls' earlier successes.

Scientists studied the bacteria in the samples of the babies' feces, identifying three different groups showing similar dominant clusters of bacteria. They then rated the infants on various neurodevelopmental scales. Of these groups, only boys with a predominance of Bacteroidetes bacteria showed signs of enhanced neurodevelopment.

While the results do not necessarily mean that children with a lower proportion of Bacteroidetes will lag behind their peers later, the scientists believe that these data can help with early detection of children at risk of mental development disorders.