We all know that feeding a baby with breast milk is the best. And despite knowing the multiple medical benefits it provides, there are many doubts and rumors about its effects in terms of the intelligence of the children who receive it.
A new study found that unlike other studies, breast milk has little impact on the cognitive development of long-term babies.
The study involved 7,478 Irish children, who were followed from the age of 9 months. Some years later, reports and evaluations from parents and teachers were used to collect information about each one, such as behavioral problems, vocabulary and cognitive skills at 3 and 5 years. Information on breastfeeding was obtained through the mothers of the children.
It was found that at three years children who had been breastfed for six months or more showed less hyperactivity and greater problem solving ability. However, when testing again at five years the differences were insignificant.
Now, This does not mean that breast milk has no cognitive benefits at all. In a comment accompanying the study, Dr. Lydia Furman suggests that this is not the last word on the impact of breastfeeding on brain development. She comments that there are many other studies that show that there is a small but lasting impact of breastfeeding on intelligence, and much remains to be investigated.
In conclusion, the researchers agree that The medical benefits of breastfeeding for mother and child are very numerous and well documented, and that these results do not contradict them.
This is related to what Armando told us a couple of weeks ago: the economic and social environment to which the baby belongs determines intelligence rather than breastfeeding. And while it may not make our children smarter, the health benefits it provides are something that nothing else can give them.
