Breastfeeding boosts brain development in disadvantaged mothers’ babies

Analysis of data on almost 6,000 British children showed that breastfeeding can have cognitive benefits for babies of mothers from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The study, published in the American Economic Journal, found that the babies are much better at tasks involving speaking, drawing and comprehension as a direct result. They also do 8 per cent better in tests of their cognitive ability up to the age of seven – if they were breastfed for at least three months – than those who were bottle-fed.

The research undertaken by Prof Emla Fitzsimons from University College London’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies and Prof Marcos Vera-Hernandez, from its economics department, analysed data of nearly 6,000 children born across the UK during 2000-02 who are taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study, whose mothers left school before turning the age of 17 and who had a natural or low-risk birth.

According to reports from the Guardian, Fitzsimons described their findings as “statistically significant”, providing evidence that breastfeeding can be beneficial for children beyond physical health.

The study revealed that: “Our results, which apply to mothers with relatively low levels of education, are striking. We find strong effects of breastfeeding in children’s cognitive development, the effects of noncognitive skills are inconclusive, and we find no evidence of effects on health during this period of childhood.”