For the first time, researchers used sibling data in order to examine whether breast milk is associated with higher intelligence in children by assessing the academic achievements of 191 American sibling pairs.
They compared the sibling pairs -- one of which had been nursed while the other one had been formula fed. The focus was to find consistent evidence that breast-fed children have higher high school grades, are likely to complete school graduation and attend college.
Since the study involved siblings, they researchers were able to control the influence of a variety of factors that are often difficult to measure, such as parent’s intelligence and the quality of the home environment.
“By focusing on differences between siblings, we can rule out the possibility that family-level factors such as socioeconomic status are driving the relationship between having been breastfed and educational attainment,” the authors said.
Observations of researchers
It was observed that breastfeeding apparently made a difference between siblings. On an average, breastfed siblings demonstrated 12 percent to 14 percent better grades in high school, and were more likely to go to college as compared to those who had not been nursed.
The study revealed that the grades tend to be higher with each additional month of breastfeeding, as did the chances of attending college.
The research highlights two important factors that breastfeeding affects educational attainment by improving cognitive ability and health.
Researchers reflect that if breastfeeding does boost later intelligence, it is perhaps related to fatty acids found in breast milk that are instrumental in the development of the brain and nervous system.
“The results of our study suggest that the cognitive and health benefits of breastfeeding may lead to important long-run educational benefits for children. But this is just a start. Much work remains to be done to establish a definitive causal link,” said Prof Joseph J Sabia of American University in Washington DC.
Health benefits of breast feeding
Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, said this study may not establish a definite link between school performance and breast-feeding, but it could be an additional reason to breast-feed your baby.
"An array of health benefits is convincingly associated with breast-feeding, including a reduced risk of both infections and obesity in the breast-fed child," Katz said. "Less certain, but long suggested, is enhanced cognitive development in breast-fed children as well.
Experts recommend that infants ideally be breastfed for at least the first year of life, with breast milk as the sole food for the first six months.
The study has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Human Capital.
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