Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 19, 2026
A High-performance Liquid Chromatography Measurement of Kynurenine and Kynurenic Acid: Relating Biochemistry to Cognition and Sleep in Rats
Published on: August 19, 2018
The cognitive performance of indigenous schoolchildren in relation to their feeding during infancy
R Isabel Cando1,2, Alicia DíazSilva2, Marcela Guerendiain2,3
1School of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Chimborazo, Riobamba, Ecuador.
Insights
Exclusive breastfeeding for over six months is linked to higher intelligence scores in young indigenous children. This finding highlights the importance of prolonged breastfeeding for cognitive development in vulnerable populations.
Area of Science:
- Child Nutrition and Development
- Indigenous Health Disparities
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Function
Background:
- Early life nutrition is crucial for neurodevelopment, particularly in vulnerable populations.
- Native communities often face socioeconomic challenges, including poverty and food insecurity, impacting child health.
- Understanding feeding practices' effects on cognitive outcomes is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infant feeding practices and cognitive performance in rural Ecuadorian indigenous schoolchildren.
- To analyze the relationship between the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and intelligence quotients (IQ).
- To identify potential nutritional factors influencing neurodevelopment in a resource-limited setting.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-seven schoolchildren (aged 5-6 years) from rural indigenous communities in Riobamba, Ecuador, were assessed.
- Data collected included breastfeeding duration, age of introduction of cow's milk, solids, and liquids, and anthropometric and sociocultural factors.
- Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), measuring verbal, manipulative, and total IQ scores.
Main Results:
- Children exclusively breastfed for over six months demonstrated significantly higher manipulative and total IQ scores compared to those breastfed for less than six months.
- A positive association was observed between the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and both manipulative and total IQ scores, even after adjusting for confounding factors.
- The mean total IQ score was 89.25 ± 10.43, with higher scores linked to longer exclusive breastfeeding durations.
Conclusions:
- Extended exclusive breastfeeding (beyond six months) is positively associated with enhanced cognitive development, specifically higher intelligence quotients, in indigenous schoolchildren.
- These findings underscore the critical role of breastfeeding duration in supporting neurodevelopment in children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Public health initiatives should promote longer exclusive breastfeeding practices to improve cognitive outcomes in indigenous communities.
Objectives:
Nutrition during the first 3 years of life is critical to neurodevelopment. Native populations experience poverty, inequality, and food insecurity. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between feeding during infancy and cognitive performance in schoolchildren of rural indigenous communities in Riobamba, Ecuador.
Methods:
Thirty-seven schoolchildren (5-6 years) were recruited. We determined duration of exclusive breastfeeding, weaning age, age of cow's milk incorporation, daily intake of cow's milk, age of solid and liquid incorporation, and sociocultural and anthropometric parameters. Verbal, manipulative, and total intelligence quotients were evaluated with Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence.
Results:
Means of verbal, manipulative, and total intelligence quotient scores were 86.46 ± 11.55, 96.39 ± 9.96, and 89.25 ± 10.43, respectively. Children were exclusively breastfed until 6.83 ± 3.97 months and weaned at 17.17 ± 5.58 months. Age of cow's milk incorporation was 12.58 ± 6.06 months, with a daily intake of 737.50 ± 417.50 mL. Solids were incorporated at 10.11 ± 4.43 months and liquids at 7.72 ± 3.30 months. Positive associations between duration of exclusive breastfeeding and manipulative (unadjusted: ρ = .545, P = .006; r = .491, P = .028; adjusted for children's body mass index, and ethnicity and educational level of mothers: r = .522, P = .041) and total (unadjusted: ρ = .483, P = .017; adjusted: r = .572, P = .036) intelligence quotients were found. Frequency of children with manipulative (χ2 [2] = 7.093, P = .029) and total (χ2 [2] = 7.198, P = .027) intelligence quotient ≥90 was higher in those exclusively breastfed >6 months. Furthermore, schoolchildren in the >6 months group had better manipulative (101.75 ± 9.08 vs 89.71 ± 8.56, P = .038) and total (94.50 ± 11.89 vs 84.86 ± 5.05, P = .036) intelligence quotient than those in the <6 months group, independent of anthropometric and sociocultural factors.
Conclusions:
Longer exclusive breastfeeding was related to better total intelligence quotient in rural indigenous schoolchildren.
Related Concept Videos
07:04A High-performance Liquid Chromatography Measurement of Kynurenine and Kynurenic Acid: Relating Biochemistry to Cognition and Sleep in Rats
07:30Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
09:08An Introduction to Cognition
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
06:35Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
07:21The Emotional Stroop Task: Assessing Cognitive Performance under Exposure to Emotional Content