MEN who are born small are less likely to marry, according to David Phillips,
an endocrinologist at Southampton General Hospital. Out of 3577 men born in
Helsinki, Phillips found the 259 who never married were smaller and lighter at
age 15 and had lower incomes later in life. Even allowing for those differences,
men with a low birthweight were still less likely to marry (British Medical
Journal, vol 322, p 771).
鈥淚t could be that babies that are undernourished in the womb have subtle
changes in their body structure that make them less attractive,鈥� says Phillips.
鈥淏ut we think that growth restriction in the womb could affect their ability to
form relationships.鈥�