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Searching for a Relationship between Early Breastfeeding and Cognitive Development of Attention and Working Memory

Tiziana Pedale1,2, Serena Mastroberardino3, Claudia Del Gatto4

  • 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.

Brain Sciences
|January 21, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Exclusively breastfeeding (eBF) versus not-exclusively breastfeeding (neBF) did not impact attention or working memory (WM) in children aged 6 to 18. This study found no cognitive benefits from early infant nutrition for these specific functions.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Human Nutrition

Background:

  • Previous studies linked exclusive breastfeeding (eBF) to higher general intelligence.
  • Research has overlooked the effects of breastfeeding on specific cognitive functions like attention and working memory (WM).
  • Understanding breastfeeding's impact on core cognitive skills is crucial for child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if exclusive breastfeeding (eBF) versus not-exclusively breastfeeding (neBF) influences attention and working memory (WM) capacity.
  • To assess cognitive performance differences in relation to infant feeding practices.
  • To examine the long-term effects of early nutrition on specific cognitive functions.

Main Methods:

  • Administered the Attention Network Test (ANT) and Change Colour Task (CCT) to 144 participants aged 6, 10, and 18 years.
  • Grouped participants based on infant feeding: exclusively breastfed (eBF) or not-exclusively breastfed (neBF) during the first 6 months.
  • Ensured homogeneity in maternal education across subgroups to isolate breastfeeding effects.

Main Results:

  • Participant age positively correlated with improved performance on attention and WM tasks.
  • Bayesian analyses revealed no significant differences in attention or WM capacity between exclusively breastfed (eBF) and not-exclusively breastfed (neBF) groups.
  • Early infant nutrition (eBF vs. neBF) did not demonstrate a measurable impact on the development of attention and WM capacity in the studied age groups.

Conclusions:

  • Infant feeding patterns, specifically exclusive breastfeeding (eBF) versus not-exclusively breastfeeding (neBF), do not appear to influence the development of attention and working memory (WM) capacity.
  • Cognitive functions like attention and WM may be independent of early nutritional strategies beyond 6 months of age.
  • Further research could explore other cognitive domains or earlier developmental stages.

Keywords:
alertingattentionbreastfeedingcognitive developmentconflictexecutive functionorientingworking memory capacity

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