Sixty-four pregnant women ranked the severity of their heartburn during pregnancy. Researchers rated newborn hair volume using photographs of the newborn's head. They found an association between heartburn severity during pregnancy and the amount of hair on newborns. What can we reasonably conclude from this study?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice is D because there could be a lurking variable that is influencing both the severity of heartburn in pregnant women and the amount of hair on newborns. It is important to note that association does not imply causation, so we cannot conclude that eating food that causes heartburn during pregnancy leads to newborns being hairier or vice versa. The study does not support choice B either, which suggests that newborn hair causes heartburn in pregnant women. Finally, it is important to realize that pregnancy is a confounding variable in this study because it is a common cause of both heartburn and newborn hair amount.

Sixty-Four Pregnant Women Ranked the Severity of Their Heartburn During