Smart study: Could spacing your children out make them smarter?

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- If you could make your kids smarter, would you?

Notre Dame researchers say it could be as simple as spacing out your children!

Economics Professor Kasey Buckles and a graduate student compared test scores with the age gap between siblings.

Buckles said older siblings seem to benefit with more spacing.

The younger kids do not seem to be affected.

She says this information can help couples decide if the time is right to have kids.

"Parents making a decision about their fertility so really the decision is when to have them, but actually we don't know a whole lot about what's good for children in terms of spacing," said Buckles.

Down the road, Buckles said that she hopes to look at other impacts of age gaps between siblings on things like risky behaviors.