Breastfed babies have higher IQ, says study
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People breastfed as infants have higher intelligence scores in adulthood, and higher earnings, according to a study published yesterday that tracked the development of 3,500 newborns over 30 years.
And, critically, the socioeconomic status of mothers appeared to have little impact on breastfeeding results, according to a paper published by The Lancet medical journal.
“The effect of breastfeeding on brain development and child intelligence is well established,” lead author Bernardo Lessa Horta of the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil said.
What has been less clear, is whether the effects persist into adulthood, and whether a mother’s socioeconomic status or education level played a bigger role in the outcome of previous studies than her choice to breastfeed or not.
“Our study provides the first evidence that prolonged breastfeeding not only increases intelligence until at least the age of 30 years but also has an impact both at an individual and societal level by improving educational attainment and earning ability,” said Horta.
“What is unique about this study is the fact that, in the population we studied, breastfeeding was not more common among highly educated, high-income women, but was evenly distributed by social class.”
Horta and a team analyzed data from another study of children born in Pelotas in 1982.
Information on breastfeeding was compared to IQ test results at the average age of 30 years, as well as the educational level and income of 3,493 participants.
An individual breastfed for at least a year as a baby gained a full four IQ points, had 0.9 years more schooling, and an income of 341 Brazilian Reals (US$104) higher per month at age 30, compared to those breastfed for less than one month, it found.
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