Primal Health Databank: Study
| Entry No: | 0128 |
| Title: | Breast-feeding and later cognitive and academic outcomes |
| Author(s): | Horwood LJ, Fergusson DM |
| Reference: | Pediatrics 1998; 101(1) Electronic Abstracts 9: 99 |
| Place of Study: | New Zealand |
| Abstract: | This study examined the associations between duration of breastfeeding and childhood cognitive abilities and academic achievement between age 8 to 18, using data collected during the course of an 18-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of more than 1000 children. Increasing duration of breastfeeding was associated with consistent and statistically significant increases in: (i) intelligence / IQ at ages 8 and 9 (ii) reading comprehension, mathematical ability and scholastic ability assessed during the period from 10 to 13 years (iii) teacher ratings of reading and mathematics assessed at 8 and 12 years (iv) higher levels of attainment in school leaving examinations. The findings persisted after taking into account the age of the mother and her socio-economic status. |
| Keyword(s): | breastfeeding, cognitive development, intellectual development, IQ |
| Discussion: | The children included in this study were born at a time when human milk was already contaminated by industrial synthetic chemicals such as PCBs and dioxins. However the advantages of breastfeeding obviously outweighed the disadvantages. See entries 0129 and 0130 |
| See Also: | 0129, 0130 |
Go Back | New Keyword Search