Breastfeeding is one of the Most Effective Ways to Enhance Your Child IQ Level

Breastmilk is the safe, clean and ideal food for all infants around the world. It is rich in all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first few months of life. It also contains antibodies that help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Both WHO and UNICEF recommend that each and every child should be breastfed within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life! This indicates that infants should have breastmilk only and infants should not have any other foods or liquids, including water during their first six months. Moreover, it is important to highlight that infants should be breastfed on their requirements both day and night.  

Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests! According to the Canadian and Brazilian Research group’s long-term study has pointed to a direct association between breastfeeding and intelligence or the baby’s IQ level. The research in Brazil used 3,500 babies and found those who had been breastfed for longer went on to score higher on IQ tests as adults at age 30 years. Moreover, these research findings suggest that breastfeeding not only improves intelligence up to adulthood but also has an effect at both the individual and societal level, by increasing educational attainment and earning ability. A potential biological mechanism for all these health effects the presence of long-chain saturated fatty acids in breastmilk, which are essential for brain development.

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References

Victora, C.G., Horta, B. L., De-Mola, C. L., Quevedo, L., Pinheiro, R. T., Gigante, D. P., Gonçalves, H. & Barros, F.C. (2015). Association between breastfeeding and intelligence, educational attainment, and income at 30 years of age: a prospective birth cohort study from Brazil. Lancet Glob Health, 3, e199–e205.

Koletzko, B., Agostoni, C., Carlson, S.E., et al. (2001). Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) and perinatal development. Acta Paediatr, 90, 460–464.

Isaacs, E.B., Fischl, B.R., Quinn, B.T., Chong, W.K., Gadian, D.G. & Lucas, A. (2010). Impact of breast milk on intelligence quotient, brain size, and white matter development. Pediatr Res, 67, 357–362.