Breast-fed kids smarter

Children who are breastfed after birth are smarter than those who aren't.

According to the world's largest study on lactation and intelligence, that followed 17,046 children for six and a half years from birth, children whose mothers exclusively breastfed them during the first year of life had consistently higher IQ and an improved cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) development.

Scientists from McGill University and the Montreal Children's Hospital conducted a randomized trial involving patients from 31 maternity hospitals in Belarus.

At age six and a half the children in the breastfeeding group scored an average of 7.5 points higher on tests measuring verbal intelligence, 2.9 points higher on tests measuring non-verbal intelligence and 5.9 points higher on tests measuring overall intelligence.

Michael S Kramer, lead author and professor of pediatrics at the university, said: "Our study provides the strongest evidence to date that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding makes kids smarter."

Kramer was, however, unable to pinpoint what caused this association. He said: "It remains unclear whether the observed cognitive benefits of breastfeeding are due to some constituent of breast milk or are related to the physical and social interactions inherent in breastfeeding."

Reacting to the study, Dr Arun Gupta, national coordinator of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, told TOI: "This study shows that if Indians can increase exclusive breast feeding rates from 25% at present to 100% in the near future, it will greatly benefit the country's intellectual capital. Unfortunately, breast feeding rates have hardly improved in India since 1992."

Dr J P Dadhisch, pediatrician and former secretary of the National Neonatology Forum, added: "India recommends breastfeeding within one hour and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months for every child. However, just a quarter of the children born every year are fed breast milk exclusively till they are six months old.

"Two reasons could link breastfeeding and IQ. Mother's breast milk contains fatty acids like DHA and AA that play a vital role in brain development. Even thou-gh neurological cells exist in kids, its these fatty acids that help nerve cells to send signals."

The study has been published in the May edition of the ‘Archives of General Psychiatry'.