Breast Milk 'Does Not Boost IQ'

BBC ^ | 10-3-2006

[blam]

Breast milk 'does not boost IQ'

Breastfed babies tend to be brighter

Breastfed babies are smarter because their mothers are clever in the first place, not because of any advantage of breastfeeding itself, a study suggests. Researchers found breastfeeding mothers tend to be more intelligent, more highly educated, and likely to provide a more stimulating home environment.

However, they stressed that there were still many advantages to breastfeeding.

The British Medical Journal study was carried out by the Medical Research Council and University of Edinburgh.

Lead researcher Geoff Der said: "This question has been debated ever since a link between the two [high IQ and breastfeeding] was first discovered in 1929.

"Breastfed children do tend to score higher on intelligence tests, but they also tend to come from more advantaged backgrounds."

The researchers analysed data from more than 5,000 children and 3,000 mothers in the USA.

They found that mothers who breastfeed tend to be more intelligent, and when this fact was taken into account, most of the relationship between breastfeeding and the child's intelligence disappeared.

The rest was accounted for by other aspects of the family background.

Sibling comparison

The researchers also looked at families where one child was breastfed and another was not.

This confirmed the earlier results - the breastfed child was no more intelligent than his or her sibling.

Putting the results together with other studies that measured the mother's IQ confirmed this pattern.

Mr Der said: "This research shows that intelligence is determined by factors other than breastfeeding.

"But breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and child. It's definitely the smart thing to do."

Breastfeeding has been linked to a range of health benefits.

Just one day of breastfeeding is thought to be enough to stabilise a baby's blood sugar levels, and provide natural antibodies against disease.

Breastfed babies have been shown to be less prone to diarrhoea, vomiting, and respiratory infections. Breastfeeding may also have a long impact on reducing blood pressure and obesity.

The World Health Organization recommends that babies should be breastfed for at least the first two years.

Low rates

The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe - almost a third of women in England and Wales never try to breastfeed, compared with just 2% in Sweden.

Rosie Dodds, of the National Childbirth Trust, said the study was not conclusive.

She said a study in the Philippines - where, unlike the West, poorer women are more likely to breastfeed - showed that breastfed children were likely to be more intelligent.

However she added: "Women do not breastfeed because of any benefit to their baby, they do it because it feels like the natural thing to do.

"It is important that women make a decision that is right for them, and their family, and they should not be pressurised either way, but we would like to see more support for women who do decide they want to breastfeed."

A Department of Health spokesperson said breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition for infants.

"We know that the composition of breast milk meets the individual needs of each baby and that as a result breastfeeding can make a major contribution to public health."

[metmom]

No problem. I should have been more clear. Sometimes what's going on in the brain doesn't come across the keyboard clearly. I mean, I know what I'm thinking...

[PennsylvaniaMom]

I'll throw in my experiences...I breastfed all five of mine til about 10 months or so (they all started walking around then, and they were usually weened by about their first birthdays). No allergies, very healthy, little to no acne (ages 22, 21, 18, 12 and 9). I was bottlefed (a combo of PET evap. milk, Karo syrup and distilled water...its a miracle I made it!) I have lactose intolerance (and my dad used to comment, when he was around my babies...that they never spit up, and apparently, I constantly did). I also have an systemic allergy to shellfish/iodine (have to carry an EPI Pen). Also seasonal allergies; contact dermatitus issues with metals, some synthetic fabrics. My hubby, was also bottle fed (formula from a can...not a homemade brew like mine) and he can tolerate dairy products (though has some discomfort), has no systemic allergies. I truly believe that BF does make a world of difference later in life (digestive tract in particular).

[Paine's Ghost]

I remember, while at the CDC, how reluctant they were to support breast feeding. See, breast feeding in much more about mothering then simply feeding and to admit that mothering was more than a mechanical process that could be replaced by a bottle, baby-sitter, day-care worker was not the implication that the liberal CDC wanted to make. They put out the PSA but with disclaimers that babies that are bottle fed tend to catch up and than focused on ways independent mothers could breast feed by proxy. Expressing and freezing the milk so a day-care worker could feed the thawed milk to their new-born while they pursue that so-important career.

[Dianna]

Your story sounds exactly like mine, except I was able to figure out somewhat early on in my oldest child's infancy that the cow's dairy products I was taking in were coming through MY milk.

I hadn't planned to use formula at all and had NO idea that it was based upon cow's milk. My son was so fussy that I couldn't stand to try to nurse him because he would wiggle and cry and fuss. I gave him a bottle and within a couple of minutes I noticed that the bottle was leaking.

I took the bottle away and began taking off his clothes to clean him up and he was nothing but red welts where the formula had come into contact with his skin. He'd only had the bottle a few minutes! I cringe to think what it must have been doing to his tummy!

[warsaw44]

My allergies consist of various pollens which is normal. The food allergies I have which are not normal: most raw fruit. The only fruit I can safely eat are citrus fruits, bananas ( which I do not like ), melons and most berries. But it gets stranger. I can not eat raw carrots. The worst reaction I have is to raw apples and carrots. When I worked in kitchens one of my jobs was to shred huge amounts of carrots for salads. My arms and hands would turn bright red and itch for hours after the job was done. Some nuts can trigger a mild reaction as well.
But if any of the above is cooked or processed I can consume it without trouble.

[warsaw44]

Metmom,
I posted a full reply about my allergies to another poster who commented to me. I failed to see your reply so I am giving you a heads up on my post - I didn't want you to think me rude!

[Candor7]

Yup, one look at the picture tells it all. Who needs reearch to know goodness when it is in front of you?

Your son is simply a very fortunate human being.

[COEXERJ145]

Female Breasts are like toy trains, they were designed with children in mind but adult males seem to have alot of interest in them also.

Oh my God. ROFLMAO!

I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I read that or else I'd need a new keyboard.

[metmom]

My allergist told me that most of the allergens are in the skin, especially apples. I also heard of someone who was allergic to carrot peels.

He also told me that people can eat cooked veggies that they are allergic to raw. Cooking changes the protein in the foods to a form that may not cause a reaction.

There's something called *Oral Allergy Syndrome* that I sometimes get (why? I don't know) It's a localized reaction that occurs in the mouth and my tongue burns after eating some things, mostly fruit. The weird thing is, it doesn't happen all the time. Apples often cause it but why sometimes and not others is beyond me.

Here's a link to some info on it. There's lots more if you google *oral allergy syndrome*.
http://allergies.about.com/cs/oas/a/aa052499.htm

[warsaw44]

The Oral Allergy Syndrome reaction you have is exactly the reaction I have to the fruits and carrots. Except the burning and itching travels down my throat. I have never eaten an apple and not had the reaction. I suspect if I ate one today the same darn thing would happen. Its a shame as I sure do miss them. I really miss pears though. When I was a teenager I'd eat them knowing full well what the reaction would be. By far my favorite fruit is the pear.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

BTW, having a lactose intolerance is not necessarily the same thing as a dairy "allergy". We figured out, by elimination diet, that it was the PROTEIN in the cows dairy that was the cause of the allergies.

I got used to reading that fine print on the table of ingredients on food labels and learned the "buzz words" that translated to cows dairy products - most specifically the protein component:

Whey
Casein

Lo and behold I did manage to find an obscure baby formula on the market that had NO cows dairy components in it whatsoever. It was only slightly more expensive that the more common ones typically found on the grocery store shelves. I kept a supply of it on hand for emergency use only.

[warsaw44]

Interesting link. That first paragraph from the person with the Oral Allergy Syndrome has it far worse than I do. I do not suffer any problems consuming the same foods if cooked. In fact, I am pretty good in the apple cream pie baking department. You can bet I have sampled more than a few of my own apple pies.

[warsaw44]

Is formula very expensive?
I'm a single male without a clue in regard to this but from some of the comments I gather it is.

[metmom]

Because of milk allergies, we started drinking goat milk. It doesn't make any difference for lactose intolerance because it contains milk sugar. However, it made a big difference for my son. When he was younger, whenever he got a cold in the winter, if the goats were dry and he had to drink cow milk, he'd end up with an ear infection everytime.

Fresh goat milk is really good if the people are careful not to let them graze and eat weeds. If they graze like that the milk can get pretty strong. We hardly ever have any trouble with that though. Some of the goat milk in cartons in the supermarket is awful.

[metmom]

Yeah, formula is very expensive.

[af_vet_rr]

This is a good place as any to ask - has anybody figured out why the government is putting up billboards pushing breastfeeding? I understand all of the benefits, etc., etc., but it just seems a little weird that the government is putting up billboards about it....almost nannystatish in a way, by the wording they use.

[Dianna]

This is a good place as any to ask - has anybody figured out why the government is putting up billboards pushing breastfeeding? I understand all of the benefits, etc., etc., but it just seems a little weird that the government is putting up billboards about it....almost nannystatish in a way, by the wording they use.

For the same reason that they tell us not to smoke and run PSA's about condom use.