Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026

Non-Nutritive Suck Parameters Measurements Using a Custom Pressure Transducer System
Published on: April 19, 2024
Breastfeeding may protect against persistent stuttering
Jamie Mahurin-Smith1, Nicoline G Ambrose
1Illinois State University, Box 4720, Normal, IL 61790, United States.
Purpose:
This study investigated the hypothesis that breastfeeding in infancy might protect against persistent stuttering in children.
Method:
We collected new data from the mothers of current and past participants in the Illinois Stuttering Research Program on their children's feeding history during infancy. We obtained 47 usable responses, for 17 children with persistent stuttering and 30 children who recovered naturally after a period of stuttering.
Results:
A chi-squared test for linear trend revealed a significant relationship between breastfeeding duration and the likelihood of natural recovery for the boys in the sample. Mothers of children in the persistent group were no more likely to report early feeding difficulties which might have suggested an underlying oral motor deficit in children predisposed toward persistent stuttering.
Conclusions:
Our results offer preliminary support for the idea that breastfeeding may confer a measure of protection against persistent stuttering. The fatty acid profile of human milk, with its potential to affect both gene expression and the composition of neural tissue, may explain this association. Further research is called for.
Learning Outcomes:
The reader will be able to discuss at least one reason why human milk may make a difference in neurodevelopment generally and with regard to stuttering outcomes specifically. Additionally, the reader will be able to describe the relationship between breastfeeding duration and stuttering recovery observed in this sample.
More Related Videos
05:04A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
Published on: September 22, 2023
07:11Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
Published on: February 5, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Upper Respiratory Drugs: Antitussives, Expectorants, and Mucolytics
Antitussives include codeine, dextromethorphan (Robitussin), and benzonatate (Tessalon). Codeine and dextromethorphan exert their effects centrally by suppressing the cough reflex center in the medulla. Benzonatate operates peripherally within the respiratory tract by anesthetizing...
Development of the Oral Microbiota
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Development of Human Microbiota
Breathing
Parental Care