[Child development in children with exclusive breastfeeding]
Néstor Isaí Domínguez-Delgado1, Jacqueline Lezama-González2, Elisa Sánchez-Cabrera3
1Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Unidad de Medicina Familiar No. 2, Área de Medicina Familiar. Puebla, Puebla, México.
Insights
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) significantly enhances child development, including cognitive, motor, and social skills. This study demonstrates that infants receiving EBF show markedly better developmental outcomes compared to non-EBF infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is recognized for its critical role in infant development.
- EBF provides essential cognitive, motor, and emotional benefits for children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and determine the impact of exclusive breastfeeding on child development.
- To compare developmental trajectories in infants with and without exclusive breastfeeding.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal and retrospective study involving 359 children aged 1-24 months.
- Infant development assessed using the Infant Development Assessment Test (gross motor, fine motor, language, social aspects) at baseline, 3, and 6 months.
- Analysis included child and maternal variables using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Main Results:
- Infants receiving exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) showed significantly higher developmental scores (97.8% green score at 6 months) compared to those without EBF (48.5% green score at 6 months).
- A statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in developmental progress was observed between the EBF and non-EBF groups.
- The study included a diverse sample with a median child age of 9 months and predominantly middle-high socioeconomic status mothers.
Conclusions:
- Exclusive breastfeeding is strongly associated with superior psychomotor, cognitive, and social development in children.
- Promoting and supporting exclusive breastfeeding is crucial for optimizing early childhood development.
- The findings underscore the long-term benefits of breastfeeding for child well-being.
Background:
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is essential for child development, offering cognitive, motor and emotional benefits.
Objective:
To determine child development in children with exclusive breastfeeding.
Material And Methods:
A longitudinal and retrospective study was conducted on children aged 1 to 24 months, with and without exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Development was assessed at three time points (baseline, three months, and six months) using the Infant Development Assessment Test, which measures gross motor skills, fine motor skills, language, and social aspects. Child-related variables (age, sex, and gestational age) and maternal variables (age, socioeconomic status, and education level) were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS v24.
Results:
In a sample of 359 children, with a median age of 9 months (1-24), 52.4% were girls, with a median gestational age of 39 weeks (37-42). The median maternal age was 24 years (16-38), with a predominance of middle-high socioeconomic status (70.8) and secondary or higher education (55.4%). 52.9% of children received EBF. Initially, 83.1% of children with EBF obtained a green score in development, increasing to 97.8% at three months and 99.4% at six months. In contrast, in children without EBF, only 28.9% obtained a green score initially, increasing to 34.9% at three months and 48.5% at six months (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Children with EBF showed superior development compared to those without EBF, underlining the importance of breastfeeding in psychomotor, cognitive and social development.
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