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Breastfeeding and cognitive development in the first 2 years of life
M Morrow-Tlucak1, R H Haude, C B Ernhart
1Department of Psychology, University of Akron, Ohio.
Insights
Breastfeeding benefits cognitive development. Children breastfed longer showed higher scores on the Bayley Scales Mental Development Index at 1 and 2 years, indicating a positive association between breastfeeding duration and early cognitive outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Cognitive development in early childhood is crucial for long-term outcomes.
- Understanding factors influencing cognitive development, such as infant feeding practices, is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between breastfeeding and cognitive development in the first two years of life.
- To determine if the duration of breastfeeding impacts cognitive scores.
Main Methods:
- A cohort study followed children to assess risk factors in development.
- Cognitive development was measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Child Development, specifically the Mental Development Index.
- Children were categorized by feeding method: bottle-fed, breastfed ≤4 months, and breastfed >4 months.
Main Results:
- A significant difference favoring breastfed children was observed on the Mental Development Index at 1 and 2 years.
- The positive relationship between breastfeeding duration and cognitive scores was statistically significant at 1 and 2 years.
- At 6 months, the trend favored breastfed infants but did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding, particularly longer durations, is associated with enhanced cognitive development in the first two years of life.
- The findings support the promotion of breastfeeding for potential cognitive benefits.
- Further research is needed to explore alternative explanations and confounding factors.
Abstract:
The relationship between breastfeeding and cognitive development in the first 2 years of life was examined in a cohort of children being followed in a study of risk factors in development. A significant difference between bottlefed children, children breastfed less than or equal to 4 months and those breastfed greater than 4 months was found on the Mental Development Index of the Bayley Scales at ages 1 and 2 years, favoring the breastfed children. At age 6 months, the direction of the relationship was the same but did not reach significance. Supplementary regression analyses examining the strength of the relationship between duration of breastfeeding and cognitive development similarly showed a small but significant relationship between duration of breastfeeding and scores on the Bayley at 1 and 2 years. Alternative explanations for the results are discussed.