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Breast-feeding Increase IQ for Toddlers and Grade-schoolers
Infants who had been breast-fed to age 12 months had higher vocabulary scores at 3 years of age and registered higher verbal and nonverbal intelligence scores at 7 years of age compared with nonbreast-fed infants, in a prospective, longitudinal cohort study.
The current analysis, included 1312 mothers for whom researchers had information regarding their infant’s breast-feeding status at 6 months, breast-feeding duration at 12 months, and cognitive measures at ages 3 and 7 years. The mothers who were excluded were less educated, had lower annual household income, and breast-fed for a shorter duration.
Longer breast-feeding was associated with higher Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test score at age 3 years (0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03 – 0.38 points per month breast-fed) in adjusted linear regression analysis, as well as with higher intelligence on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test at age 7 years (0.35; 95% CI, 0.16 – 0.53 verbal points per month breast-fed; 0.29; 95% CI, 0.05 – 0.54 nonverbal points per month breast-fed). The researchers adjusted for maternal intelligence, sociodemographics, and home environment, using data from self-administered questionnaires, interviews, and home observations with the Home Observation Measurement of the Environment short form.
They found that longer duration of breastfeeding and greater exclusivity of breastfeeding were associated with better receptive language at age 3 years and with higher verbal and nonverbal IQ at age 7 years. At age 7 years, the effect size of 0.35 verbal IQ points per month of any breastfeeding translates to 4.2 points, or almost one-third of [a standard deviation] during 12 months, whereas the effect size of 0.80 verbal IQ points per month of exclusive breastfeeding translates to almost 5 points over 6 months.
The study controlled for maternal intelligence and features of the home environment that promote cognitive function. Earlier observational studies did not adjust for such variables, muddying the results.
Merely reiterating the importance of breastfeeding is clearly not enough; another call for action is not enough either, instead, real action is in order.
Although 70% of American women initiate breast-feeding, the proportion drops to 35% by 6 months. This is a problem in the first world as well as the developing world.
The study authors argue that the IQ boost is a reason for infants to be exclusively breast-fed for the first months of life. The results support a causal relationship of breastfeeding in infancy with receptive language at age 3 and with verbal and nonverbal IQ at school age. These findings support national and international recommendations to promote exclusive breastfeeding through age 6 months and continuation of breastfeeding through at least age 1 year.
JAMA Pediatr. Published online July 29, 2013.
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