A study has found associations between breastfeeding duration and cognition that persist even after adjusting for socioeconomic position and maternal cognitive ability.
Published in PLoS ONE, the study analysed data from 7855 children born in 2000–02 and followed up to age 14 within the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Mothers reported breastfeeding duration, and children’s cognitive abilities were assessed at five, seven, 11 and 14 years. Standardised verbal and spatial cognitive scores were compared across breastfeeding duration groups. At all ages, longer breastfeeding durations were associated with higher cognitive scores.
bit.ly/PO_breastfeeding_cognitive
Image credit | Shutterstock