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The Benefits of Breastfeeding on Child Intelligence, Behavior, and Executive Function: A Review of Recent Evidence

Catherine McGowan1, Ruth Bland1,2,3

  • 1Department of General Paediatrics, Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Breastfeeding Medicine : the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
|February 7, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding shows a modest positive effect on children's intelligence scores. Evidence for benefits in behavior and executive function is limited, requiring further research into these neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • The impact of breastfeeding on neurodevelopmental outcomes remains debated due to inconsistent findings and confounding factors.
  • A 2013 systematic review indicated a positive association between breastfeeding and intelligence test performance.
  • This review examines literature published since 2013 on breastfeeding's effects on cognition, executive function, and behavior.

Approach:

  • Searched Web of Science and OVID for publications between January 2012 and March 2022.
  • Included 23 studies, excluding non-English articles and those not controlling for maternal IQ or home environment.
  • Analyzed effects on cognition (21 studies), executive function (3 studies), and behavior (6 studies).

Key Points:

  • Most studies found a modest, dose-dependent increase in cognitive scores with longer breastfeeding duration (0.19–0.96 points per month).
  • Four of six studies reported a positive correlation between breastfeeding and improved behavior.
  • Only one of three studies indicated a positive, dose-dependent correlation between breastfeeding and executive function.

Conclusions:

  • Recent evidence supports a small, positive association between breastfeeding and later childhood IQ.
  • Limited evidence suggests breastfeeding may be protective for conduct disorders and executive function development.
  • Further research is needed, acknowledging limitations like potential confounders and recall bias.

Keywords:
IQbehaviorbreastfedbreastfeedingcognitionexecutive function

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