The More You Breastfeed, the Smarter Your Child Will Be: New Study Shows Relationship between Breastfeeding Duration and Cognition in Children
Breastfeeding duration has been associated with a lower risk of certain conditions such as obesity, asthma, ear infections, gastroenteritis, and diabetes among other conditions. A new study in the Journal of Human Lactation found that breastfeeding duration is associated with higher cognition in children as they grow older, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. ziverdo kit The longer babies are breastfed, the better their cognitive development and school performance are likely to be later in life.
Breastfeeding May Improve Cognitive Function in Infants
A new study suggests that breastfed infants may be more likely to achieve higher cognitive function as they grow. The study also shows an association between breastfeeding duration and cognition in children up to age 7. azithromycin The authors of Are We Making Our Infants Too Smart? published in Pediatrics found that prolonged breastfeeding is linked with increased cognitive development during childhood; specifically, that six-year-olds who were breastfed for at least a year performed better on a series of tests measuring IQ than children who had never been breastfed or had been breastfed for less than one year.
Longer breastfeeding duration may improve cognitive function
A new study from Duke University finds that longer breastfeeding duration is associated with higher cognition in children. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics by researchers at Duke University Medical Center, is based on data from more than 1,000 mother-child pairs enrolled since 1998 as part of a longitudinal neurodevelopmental study (Child Neurosuite). When comparing breastfeeding duration to neurocognitive outcomes, increased intelligence quotient (IQ) was found among children who had been breastfed for nine months or longer when compared to those who were breastfed for less than one month. The findings suggest that there may be long-term cognitive benefits associated with breastfeeding—particularly when it comes to emotional processing ability and working memory. In fact, researcher Melissa A.
Evidence from large study shows positive association
Study authors measured breastfeeding duration among 1224 children aged 4-5 years old who were followed from birth. Results showed that more than two months of exclusive breastfeeding at age 3 months was associated with higher cognitive test scores at age 4-5 years. Specifically, children who had breastfed exclusively for two months or longer showed an increase of three IQ points compared to those never breastfed or breastfed only for less than two months. Among all participants, breastfeeding duration positively correlated with IQ, even after accounting for mothers’ IQ and other factors such as socioeconomic status and maternal smoking during pregnancy. The data also showed that children whose mothers reported pumping milk following delivery scored similarly to those who were exclusively breastfed for at least two months or more.
Timing may be important
Research suggests that long-term exposure to breast milk may enhance brain development. But it’s important to note that although a longer duration of breastfeeding was associated with higher cognition, no one is saying the more you breastfeed, the smarter your child will be. The relationship may be due to factors other than breastfeeding—for example, education level of mother or socioeconomic status—or it could simply be due to chance. It will take larger studies over time to prove if there is a causal relationship here.
Despite their many benefits, observational studies are susceptible to bias. In a new study published recently in Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, researchers used randomized controlled trials instead of observational data to assess breastfeeding duration and its effects on cognition at ages 3-4 years. The study found that breastfed children had higher intelligence quotient (IQ) scores than those who were formula fed during infancy.
Variables may include mother's IQ, socio-economic status or home environment
While breastfeeding has been linked to improved cognitive function in children before adolescence, a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that duration may be as important as initiation when it comes to boosting kids' intelligence. ivermectin In a cross-sectional analysis of data from Project Viva, which tracked more than 1,300 mother-child pairs from pregnancy through childhood via regular interviews and questionnaires over the course of two decades; researchers found that women who breastfed for at least 12 months were 80 percent more likely to have a child with high scores on three tests measuring language skills, reading recognition and general knowledge. They also had 20 percent higher odds of having kids with overall high IQ scores.
Cholesterol levels and mental health later in life
It's been well established that a high cholesterol level can raise your risk of heart disease—but it may also play a role in mental health later in life. hydroxychloroquine for sale A new study has found an association between higher cholesterol levels during adulthood and better mental health 10 to 20 years later; researchers believe that inflammation is behind both phenomena. While it's well known that cholesterol helps to form cell membranes, it's also been associated with an inflammatory response which could explain why people with higher LDL (or bad) cholesterol tend to live longer than people with lower LDL. In fact, C-reactive protein (CRP) was significantly related to self-reported psychological distress many years later. Chronic inflammation like what occurs from high CRP levels is also related to depression and other conditions like Alzheimer's Disease.
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