Birth cohort study links breast feeding to higher mental development at 14 months

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Breast-feeding is linked to higher mental development at age 14 months, according to the results of a birth cohort study reported in the September 19 issue of *Pediatrics.*

“Several studies have reported positive associations between breastfeeding and children’s cognition,” write Mònica Guxens, MD, MPH, PhD, from the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, and CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, all in Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues. “Parental factors are thought to explain a large part of this association. However, the potential role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) content in breast milk remains uncertain.”

The goal of the study was to examine the effects of parental psychosocial factors and colostrum LC-PUFA levels on modulating the association between breast-feeding and children’s neurodevelopment. As part of the INMA-INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project, a total of 657 women in their first trimester of pregnancy were recruited to a population-based birth cohort in the city of Sabadell in Catalonia, Spain.

Ref and Read more: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/750158?sssdmh=dm1.720308&src=nldne

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