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 17 May 2008 23:07 BST

New study links breastfeeding to IQ

Wednesday, 07 May 2008 09:04
Breastfeeding could boost children's thinking, learning and memory

Health In Focus 

Researchers say they have found the strongest evidence yet that breastfeeding raises children's IQ and improves their academic performance.

The team from McGill University says long-term, exclusive breastfeeding improves a child's cognitive development; affecting thinking, learning and memory.

The researchers conducted a randomised study of 14,000 children and mothers for 6.5 years and measured the effect of breastfeeding on cognitive development.

The results, published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, were not biased by factors such as the mother's intelligence or her way of interacting with the baby.

Children in the study attended 31 Belarusian hospitals and clinics. Half of their mothers were encouraged to breastfeed while the other half received standard care.

At age 6.5, the children in the breastfeeding group scored an average of 7.5 points higher on tests measuring verbal intelligence; 2.9 points higher on tests measuring non-verbal intelligence; and 5.9 points higher on tests measuring overall intelligence.

These children were also rated significantly higher academically than control children in both reading and writing.

"Our study provides the strongest evidence to date that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding makes kids smarter," said Dr Michael Kramer.

The researchers say it is still unclear whether breastfeeding raises IQ as a result of a constituent of breast milk or the physical and social interactions inherent in breastfeeding.

Feeding babies in this way may also increase verbal interaction between mother and child, which could improve cognitive development.

"Although breastfeeding initiation rates have increased substantially during the last 30 years, much less progress has been achieved in increasing the exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding," the study's authors conclude.

"The consistency of our findings based on a randomised trial with those reported in previous observational studies should prove helpful in encouraging further public health efforts to promote, protect and support breastfeeding."
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