It is well-established that breastfeeding has many benefits. "Breast milk provides the right amount of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, sugars, fats and proteins necessary for the infant to grow well", recalls the government site 1000-premiers-jours.fr. Its composition changes to meet the changing needs of the child. The National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS) states that breastfed children are better protected from chronic and infectious diseases.
Breastfeeding has many benefits. Research has shown that breastfeeding babies improves cognitive abilities. This effect is influenced by the length of breastfeeding, according to a British study.
Claire Carson, Maria Quigley, and Renee Pereyra Elias from the University of Oxford analysed data from more 7,800 newborns from 2000 to 2002. They then followed them until they reached the age of 14. At the ages of 5, 7, 11 and 14, their verbal and spatial cognition scores and IQ were recorded. Finally, the environment factors, such as the socioeconomic status of the parents and maternal intelligence were determined using a vocabulary test.
Their analyses revealed that children who were breastfed for a longer time, that is, more than 12 months, have higher scores at age 5 than those who are not breastfed. A child who has been breastfed for at least 6 months can score higher than a child who has never breastfed. This is even after taking into consideration socio-economic factors as well as maternal intelligence. Another reason to breastfeed is to do it for as long and as you can.
