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Breastfeeding predicts handedness.

¹School of Economics, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Kevin.denny@ucd.ie

|May 19, 2012

Summary

Breastfeeding for at least 1 to 6 weeks significantly reduces the likelihood of left-handedness in children. This study highlights breastfeeding as an environmental factor influencing handedness development.

Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Human Biology
Pediatrics

Background:

Handedness, the preference for using one hand over the other, is a complex human trait.
While genetics play a role, environmental factors are also known to influence handedness.
Previous research has explored various environmental influences, but the specific impact of breastfeeding requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the predictive relationship between breastfeeding and the development of handedness.
To determine if early life feeding practices, specifically breastfeeding duration, correlate with handedness outcomes.
To identify breastfeeding as a potential environmental determinant of handedness.

Main Methods:

Utilized two large, representative population samples from Britain (n=13,421) and Ireland (n=8,426).

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Employed multivariate probit models to analyze the probability of right-handedness.

Reported marginal effects of covariates, including breastfeeding duration, on handedness.

Main Results:

Children breastfed for a minimum period (1 to 6 weeks) were significantly less likely to be left-handed in both datasets.
The observed association between breastfeeding and reduced left-handedness remained robust after controlling for various confounding factors.
Breastfeeding demonstrated a non-linear predictive effect on handedness.

Conclusions:

Breastfeeding is identified as a significant environmental factor influencing the development of handedness.
The findings suggest a specific duration of breastfeeding is associated with a lower incidence of left-handedness.
The underlying biological or behavioral mechanisms linking breastfeeding to handedness require further research.