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A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
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Protective effect of breastfeeding with regard to children's behavioral and cognitive problems

Subin Park, Bung-Nyun Kim, Jae-Won Kim

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-No, Chongno-Gu, Seoul, Korea. soochurl@snu.ac.kr.

Nutrition Journal
|December 1, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding protects against childhood behavioral issues and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It also enhances child intelligence, with the child's IQ partially mediating these positive effects.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Public Health Nutrition

Background:

  • Breastfeeding is linked to reduced childhood behavioral problems.
  • The mediating roles of child and maternal IQ in this association remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between breastfeeding and behavioral outcomes, including ADHD.
  • To assess the mediating influence of child's and mother's IQ on this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Study involved 874 children aged 8-11 years in South Korea.
  • Mothers reported breastfeeding status; behavioral problems and ADHD diagnoses were compared.
  • Statistical analyses adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors, and IQ measures.

Main Results:

  • Lack of breastfeeding correlated with increased internalizing, externalizing, and overall behavioral problems, and ADHD diagnosis.
  • These associations persisted after controlling for child and maternal IQ.
  • Breastfeeding was associated with higher child IQ, even after adjusting for maternal IQ and ADHD diagnosis.

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding offers a protective effect on childhood behavioral outcomes, partially mediated by child IQ.
  • Breastfeeding positively impacts childhood intelligence, with child attention problems partially mediating this effect.
Abstract

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