Related Experiment Videos
Breast feeding and child development at five years
Insights
Breastfeeding may positively influence a child's development. Longer breastfeeding durations correlated with better vocabulary, visuomotor skills, and behavior at age five, with some effects persisting after statistical adjustments.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Development
- Child Psychology
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its health benefits.
- Understanding its long-term impact on child development is crucial for public health recommendations.
- Previous studies have shown mixed results regarding cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between breastfeeding duration and child development at five years of age.
- To assess the influence of breastfeeding on cognitive, behavioral, and physical development markers.
- To determine if these associations persist after controlling for confounding factors.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a national cohort study involving 13,135 children.
- Assessment of developmental tests at five years, including vocabulary, visuomotor coordination, and behavior.
- Statistical analysis to examine correlations and adjust for social and biological variables.
Main Results:
- Positive correlations were observed between breastfeeding duration and vocabulary, visuomotor coordination, and behavior scores.
- These effects on cognitive and visuomotor skills remained significant after adjusting for covariates.
- Associations with height and head circumference diminished post-adjustment; no effect on speech problems was found.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding may have a small but persistent positive effect on specific aspects of child development at five years.
- The influence on cognitive and visuomotor skills appears more robust than on physical growth measures.
- Findings suggest that breastfeeding contributes subtly to developmental trajectories, even when accounting for other influences.
Abstract:
The influence of breast feeding on developmental tests at five years of age was assessed in a national study of 13,135 children. A positive correlation was found between duration of breast feeding and performance in tests of vocabulary and visuomotor co-ordination, behaviour score, and measurements of height and head circumference. The effect on vocabulary and visuomotor co-ordination persisted when allowance was made for intervening social and biological variables, but that on height and head circumference disappeared. The breast-feeding/behaviour score association remained significant but became non-linear after adjustment. Breast feeding had no discernable effect on speech problems during the first five years. It is concluded that breast feeding may have an effect on children's development at five years: the effect is relatively small but resistant to attempts at statistical control.