Long-Term Neurocognitive Benefits Linked to Six Months of Breastfeeding
A large, population-based study investigated the long-term effects of breastfeeding for at least six months on children’s neurocognitive development. Researchers analyzed data from 11,337 mothers who responded to a six-month follow-up, categorizing children into two groups: those breastfed for six months or longer, and those never breastfed. Children who stopped breastfeeding before six months were excluded from the primary analyses. The study examined 373 neurocognitive measures, ultimately identifying 42 outcomes with statistically critically important adjusted associations.
The findings revealed consistent cognitive advantages for children breastfed for six months. Specifically, breastfeeding was linked to higher scores on verbal, performance, and total IQ tests administered at ages 8 and 15, with mean gains ranging from approximately 4.1 to 5.1 IQ points. Improvements were also observed in reading ability, demonstrated across both national assessments and other measures. While associations with spelling were less pronounced, significant gains were noted in pragmatic conversational skills at age nine, as measured by the Children’s Communication Checklist (CCC).
Performance in mathematics, as assessed by both teachers and national tests, was also better in children who were breastfed for six months. Though, associations between breastfeeding and science performance did not meet the study’s stringent statistical importance threshold.Limited behavioral benefits were observed, with breastfed children exhibiting reduced hyperactivity and lower activity levels during preschool years. Other findings included a greater likelihood of right-handedness and a more internal locus of control at age eight.
Notably, the observed enhancement in pragmatic speech skills at age nine represents a novel finding within the existing body of research. The study’s conclusions reinforce previous research highlighting the intellectual benefits of breastfeeding.
Researchers employed a rigorous two-stage statistical screening process, initially requiring an unadjusted p-value of less than 0.0001, followed by an adjusted p-value of less than 0.001 for results to be considered significant. the study’s strengths include its population-based design, the use of objective data from teachers and standardized tests, and adjustments for multiple potential confounding factors, including parental education levels. Data collection focused on feeding practices at six months to minimize recall bias.
The study acknowledges several limitations, including participant attrition and the predominantly White European ancestry of the cohort, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. The analysis focused solely on continuous outcomes, and the researchers caution that the stringent statistical thresholds employed may have resulted in some genuine associations being missed.
Despite these limitations, the study provides strong evidence supporting the association between breastfeeding for six months and long-term cognitive advantages in children. While the study cannot definitively prove causation, the findings support public health recommendations promoting breastfeeding for optimal neurocognitive development.
Source: Goulding, N., Northstone, K., Taylor, C.M., Emmett, P., Iles-Caven, Y., Gregory, J., Gregory, S., Golding, J.Differences in Neurocognitive Development Between Children Who Had Had No Breast Milk and Those Who Had Had Breast Milk for at Least 6 Months. Nutrients (2025). DOI: 10.3390/nu17172847. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/17/2847
