Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
05:04

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

Impact of breastfeeding on the intelligence quotient of eight-year-old children

Ana L M Fonseca1, Elaine P Albernaz, Cristina C Kaufmann

  • 1Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Comportamento, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. anamellofonseca@yahoo.com.br

Jornal De Pediatria
|June 25, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding for six months or longer positively influences children's intellectual capacity. This study in a developing country confirms improved cognitive performance in breastfed children, even after accounting for other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Breastfeeding is recognized for its health benefits, but its long-term impact on cognitive development requires further investigation, particularly in diverse socioeconomic settings.
  • Understanding the influence of early life nutrition on intellectual capacity is crucial for child development strategies in developing nations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between breastfeeding duration and intellectual capacity in children.
  • To control for key confounding factors, including socioeconomic status and maternal education, in a developing country cohort.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study followed infants from birth, assessing breastfeeding practices and monitoring development.
  • Intellectual capacity was evaluated at age 8 years using the Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices test.
  • Statistical analyses included t-tests, ANOVA, and regression models to determine significant associations (p<0.05).

Main Results:

  • A cohort of 560 children aged 8 years was assessed; the average Raven's score was 22.56 (SD 5.93).
  • Children breastfed for six months showed a statistically significant higher average score (1.33 points, p=0.008) compared to non-breastfed children.
  • Breastfeeding at six months (p=0.007), maternal education, and socioeconomic class remained significant predictors of intellectual performance.

Conclusions:

  • Exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months is associated with enhanced general intellectual capacity in children.
  • These findings underscore the importance of promoting extended breastfeeding for cognitive development, even when controlling for major confounding variables.
Abstract

Keywords:
Aleitamento maternoBreastfeedingChildCriançaDesenvolvimentoDevelopmentInteligênciaIntelligence

More Related Videos

Isolation of Leukocytes from Human Breast Milk for Use in an Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis Assay of HIV Targets08:12

Isolation of Leukocytes from Human Breast Milk for Use in an Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis Assay of HIV Targets

Published on: September 6, 2019

Breast Milk Enhances Growth of Enteroids: An Ex Vivo Model of Cell Proliferation09:02

Breast Milk Enhances Growth of Enteroids: An Ex Vivo Model of Cell Proliferation

Published on: February 15, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children from...
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter more...
Development of Human Microbiota01:30

Development of Human Microbiota

The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
Anatomy of the Intestines01:23

Anatomy of the Intestines

Although digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids may begin in the stomach, it is completed in the intestine. The absorption of nutrients, water, and electrolytes from food and drink also occurs in the intestine. The intestines can be divided into two structurally distinct organs—the small and large intestines.
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the small...
Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence01:23

Binet's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence

Alfred Binet, along with his student Théophile Simon, was tasked by the French Ministry of Education in 1904 to create a method for identifying students who struggled to learn through conventional classroom instruction. This initiative aimed to address overcrowding by placing such students in specialized schools. Binet and Simon developed an intelligence test comprising 30 tasks, ranging from simple commands, like touching one's nose or ear, to more complex tasks, such as drawing designs from...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...