Breastfeeding boosts brain power

Children who are mainly breastfed for the first six months of life do better across a range of school subjects by the time they reach the age of ten, new research suggests.

The study, conducted at the University of Western Australia, found the effect is strongest in boys.

Researchers reached their conclusions after tracking the growth and development of more than 1,000 children born in Western Australia between 1989 and 1991.

At the age of ten, boys who had been breastfed for six months or more did better in standard school tests in maths, reading, writing and spelling.

The findings were true after adjusting for other factors which may influence educational attainment including social status, mother's education and the amount of time the child was read to.

There was a small benefit for reading in girls.

Professor Wendy Oddy, from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, said the study provided further evidence of the benefits of breastfeeding for six months or longer.

“There are a number of ways that breastfeeding may boost academic achievement. We know that there are vital nutrients in breast milk that support brain development, particularly in terms of long-chain fatty acids,” Dr Oddy explained.

“Previous studies have shown that breastfeeding accelerates boys maturation. Males are also known to be more vulnerable to adversity during critical periods of development than females, therefore the neuro-protective effect of oestrodiols, the female hormones, in breast milk, would have greater benefits for boys."

She added that breastfeeding has a positive effect on the mother-child relationship. Other studies have suggested that baby boys rely more on help from their mother in the development of cognitive and language skills.

The findings are published in the journal Pediatrics.

This article was published on Mon 20 December 2010