Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2026
Breast Milk Enhances Growth of Enteroids: An Ex Vivo Model of Cell Proliferation
Published on: February 15, 2018
Infant nutrition, physical growth, breastfeeding, and general nutrition
1Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Insights
Human milk promotes different infant development, including higher intelligence scores persisting for 15 years. Breastfed infants grow differently, requiring specialized growth charts to avoid misdiagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Lactation
- Infant Nutrition
Background:
- Infant feeding practices significantly impact development.
- Human milk and infant formula lead to distinct developmental trajectories.
- Existing growth charts may not accurately represent breastfed infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental differences between human milk-fed and formula-fed infants.
- To examine the long-term effects of human milk on cognitive development.
- To address the need for specialized growth charts for breastfed infants.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of cognitive test scores in infants fed human milk versus formula.
- Longitudinal tracking of growth rates in breastfed infants.
- Assessment of milk intake and infant growth patterns.
Main Results:
- Human milk-fed infants demonstrate higher intelligence scores, persisting up to 15 years.
- Breastfed infants exhibit different growth patterns after 4 months of age.
- Perceived breast milk insufficiency often unfounded; infants continue to grow satisfactorily.
Conclusions:
- Human milk confers distinct developmental advantages, including enhanced cognitive outcomes.
- Specialized growth charts are necessary for accurate assessment of breastfed infants.
- Maternal perception of insufficient milk supply does not always correlate with actual infant growth.
Abstract:
It is becoming increasingly apparent that infants who receive human milk develop differently from infants who receive infant formulas. Infants who receive human milk appear to have higher scores on tests of intelligence even after controlling for confounding variables. These differences have been demonstrated to persist in children for as long as 15 years of age. Infants who are fed human milk also grow at a different rate after 4 months of age. New growth charts should be employed that are specific for the breastfed infants so that these infants will not be characterized as "failing to thrive." Breastfed infants appear to be capable of adapting to the nutrient composition of their mother's milk by altering their own intake and although many mothers discontinue nursing because they perceive they have developed breast milk insufficiency, careful studies document that they are still producing adequate quantities of milk and that their infants are growing satisfactorily.
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