Dear Dr. Garner,

I am concerned about my son. He is 6 years old and we found out recently that he is left-handed.

Will this hinder him throughout life? I read an article that he will live nine to 10 years fewer than an average right-hander.

Is it appropriate to switch his left-handedness to right-handedness? Why are some people left-handed?

Mother Worried about Southpaw in Sunset Park

Dear Southpaw Mother,

Thank you for your question. The term “southpaw” is a baseball term which has to do with a left- handed pitcher throwing to home plate from the southern direction.

There is absolutely no proof that left-handed people live nine or 10 years fewer than right-handed people. When this flawed study came out, it was noted that the group studied did not represent an evenly mixed population and the results were not accurate.

Left-handed people and right-handed people do have differences in the development of their brain and left-handed people tend to use both sides of their brain more than right-handed people.

Left-handed people do tend to be more creative and have a higher artistic IQ and music IQ than right-handed people.

On the other hand, there is an increased number of left-handed people that develop psychiatric disease, such as schizophrenia and autism. This does not mean that being left-handed can make you have schizophrenia. It means that for some reason there is an association. This requires further study but I believe this is nothing you should worry about as the association is a weak one.

Notable Facts

I would like to review some interesting aspects of being left-handed. Keep in mind that many of the studies regarding left-handed people have totally been disproven.

1. About 10 percent of people are left-handed.

2. Left-handed people have higher incidents of speech problems, such as stuttering.

3. There is no scientific proof that forcing a left-hander to become a right-hander will improve anything.

4. Most research shows no significant difference in IQ between left- and right-handed people.

5. Women are more likely to be right-handed than men.

6. In the past, left-handedness was seen as a curse. Even the term “A left-handed compliment” is actually an insult.

7. Left-handed people have increased creativity.

8. Women who are over 40 when they give birth have an increased incidence of having a left-handed child.

9. Left-handedness is inherited through a combination of genes and environmental factors. Identical twins often use different hands.

10. Animals as well as people show preference for being either left- or right- handed or “pawness.” In fact, 40 percent of cats are left-pawed.

Six of the past 12 presidents have been left-handed. This should calm your frazzled nerves regarding possible problems being left-handed as one progresses through life.

Basically, this an interesting question with an insufficient number of acceptable studies to back up claims regarding left-handed people.

As studies become more complete, it is apparent that there is very little difference in left-handed and right-handed people.

Dr. Garner is a Fidelis Care provider who is affiliated with New York Methodist Hospital, Park Slope. He also hosts “Ask the Doctor” on NET TV, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Time Warner Channel 97, Cablevision Channel 30 and Verizon FiOS on Demand.