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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.

Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 1, 1988
PubMed

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.

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