Breast-fed kids are smarter

by Brian White (Subscribe to Brian White's posts)
Nov 7th 2007 2:21PM

Do you believe that those kids who are breast fed actually end up smarter compared to those fed formula as babies? Well, not all breast fed babies end up smarter, but many do.

A new study gave credit to breast-fed babies being more smart to a very common gene that is found expressed in about 90 percent of the population.

In this case, the breast-fed babies who shared the gene with parents ended up outscoring bottle-fed peers in intelligence tests according to the research. The gene in question helps process fatty acids, which in turn assists the intelligence quotient of those kids who have it present.

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Comments (72)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

R 11-08-2007 @ 8:08PM

B.S.

CINDY 11-08-2007 @ 8:11PM

"more smart"? give me a break. the author must have been bottle fed.

tammy 11-08-2007 @ 8:12PM

Not all moms can breast feed due to medical issues - beyond their control. Just another way to make moms feel guilty & bad.

Stacy 11-08-2007 @ 8:14PM

So far there has been no direct link found to prove that breast milk leads to "smarter" children. Most of the "experiments" done on this subject (I've done quite a bit of research on this) are done by pro-breast feeding groups such as The Leche League, which have an obvious bias. Usually the "research" involves interviewing a few other mothers from "day care" and is not done in a very scientific manner. Personally, I have known many over achievers as well as under achievers in both "breast fed" AND "formula fed" categories. This "experiment" is dribble.

Lori 11-08-2007 @ 8:19PM

I don't know how true this is but my 22 month old was breastfed and she comprehends and speaks well above her age. She did everything early even though doctors said she would be "behind" because she was born premature. She is very intelligent and like I said before, well above many in her age group and many older kids as well. So I don't know..I believe in this theory about 50%

NoSo 11-08-2007 @ 8:22PM

I don't get the impression that this is supposed to make anyone feel guilty, just point out another perk. The truth of the matter is that the vast majority of women are capable of breastfeeding. That, however, is not to say that some cannot: some medications and health issues can prevent a small portion of women from enjoying the benefits of breastfeeding. It is no secret that breastfeeding is the healthier choice for both babies and moms. You should do the reasearch yourself before you dicount the validity of these findings. It is not really new news that breastfed babies grow up to become adults with higher IQs than their bottlefed counterparts. There is some previous data that concluded that the effect was actually a result of genetics: smarter moms chose to breastfeed.

Ida 11-08-2007 @ 8:24PM

Wellll, my youngest son is a genious and he was not breast fed..

Karen 11-08-2007 @ 8:23PM

That is such a crock of crap!!!!

Carolyn 11-08-2007 @ 11:42PM

This is but another empty study...
How do they know that the breast fed kids
wouldn't be even SMARTER if they had NOT been breast fed. There is no way to
do a double-blind study on most of this
breast-feeding issues, so take them all with a huge grain of salt.
The women who breast fed may also
have had higher IQ's in the first place...
their babies would have been 'smart' no
matter they were fed.

This is but another ridiculous attempt to
put guilt complexes on those new mothers
who do not breast feed...for whatever reason.

Thirty five years ago when I had my 3 boys...nursing was considered weird...
I had NO support from NO where....

My boys were bottle fed....One of them had perfect school attendance through 7th grade...his twin missed 2 days in the same time period..and the third missed
about 10 days...in 7 years of school.
We never ever had even ONE ear infection...IF they caught the 'flu', they just slept more for a day or two and carried on, feeling ok.
They all had seasonal allergies...but I
remember maybe 3 or 4 'colds' between
them....

SO much for breast-feeding being necessary for healthy children.

Two of them also graduated summa cum laude from college.....

It is irresponsible to write such articles
and it is irresponsible to print them or
put them online.

Mother Goose

Susan 11-08-2007 @ 8:33PM

I just enjoyed breast-feeding because of the bond I shared with my daughter and continue to share today. I don't believe she is intelligent because of breast-feeding. It's because I taught her in a fun way at an early age and have been consistent in her education. At age four, she reads, writes, uses astonishing vocabulary words, and has a cute sense of humor. All kids are smart. But, a child who is not challenged, encouraged and guided will appear otherwise. Breast-feeding does offer a huge array of benefits to mom & baby. It is smart both economically and environmentally. Have a great day.

Claire 11-08-2007 @ 8:36PM

What about adoptive mom's? What do you have to say about that issue and the fact that most of them cannot breast feed?
I get sick and tired of hearing about all the perks about breast feeding,etc....

gloria 11-08-2007 @ 8:50PM

It's all crap. My kids were bottle fed, as I am not able to produce enough milk to keep them from starving and they are both above average. Both of my kids started doing things long before they were ever 'supposed to"

mtncelt 11-08-2007 @ 8:53PM

I am SICK to DEATH of this crap being shoved down our throats by the Breastfeeding Nazi crowd.

I was actually told to my face that I was a lazy and disengaged Mom because I did not breastfeed. When in fact, I would have loved to breastfeed, but could not. Breastfeeding does not work out for everyone for various reasons.

Breastfeeding is best, but you are not a bad Mom if you could not do it for whatever reason. If you bottlefeed by choice or circumstance, you are still nurishing and giving your child the very best that you can!

Because I could not breastfeed, my husband got to enjoy feeding our babies and bonding with them as well. How about THAT for a perk?

Stacy 11-08-2007 @ 8:54PM

NoSo,
Sweety, I've done the research and it is all inconclusive. Yes, breast milk provides many excellent nutrients, but there is no absolute proof that it leads to more intelligent children. God bless.

SWDude 11-08-2007 @ 9:07PM

Actually, my ex wife was into meth so my daughter was smarter for NOT breast feeding. She is 3 and has the comprehension level of a 10 year old.

Lisa 11-08-2007 @ 9:10PM

I dont get what this whole guilt thing is that moms who bottle feed have. if you honestly believe you are doing what is BEST for you child then nobody should be able to make you feel guilty about that decision. All choices i make for my son are educated choices and i feel very confident in making them and defending them. There is no one who could make me feel guilty because i am confident in my decisions. you can only feel guilty if you know deep down that you didnt do all you could for your child.

If you physically cant breastfeed because of medical condition or medication, then you have no need to feel bad and no one should be able to make you feel bad. You are doing the best you can. Bottom line, you didnt have another option.

If you adopt, with a lot of work and time, it is possible to induce lactation. Usually its not enough to fully feed the child, so supplementation is necessary, but many of the benefits still exist for both mom and baby. It is possible, but requires a major committment (much more that normal breastfeeding) and no one will put someone down for not trying that. Again its not really something you should feel guilty over.

Breastfeeding has also recently been listed as one of the top 10 preventors of cancer (breast, ovarian and endometrial among the those most affected) for a mom, and if baby is a girl, it also reduces her risk of cancer. nursing for a total of 2 years during your life will decrease your risk of cancer by at least 10%. longer durations of nursing increases that percentage.

There is a saying, breastfeeding may not be the best choice for all moms, but it IS the best choice for ALL babies (barring any dangerous substances/prescriptions the mother may need to take).

Wendy 11-09-2007 @ 11:00AM

My son was bottled fed and he has a PH.D. How is that for being smart!

bkwormsjv 11-08-2007 @ 9:24PM

It seems everyone is getting carried away with being defensive about this article. Granted, the wording in it wasn't optimal for scientific accuracy, but a little discernment from the reader is a good thing. Studies about human behavior do not (as a general rule) deal in cause and effect; they only talk about connections and correlations.

Breastfeeding is, as some people have pointed out, very healthy for babies. In fact, it is probably the optimal food source for infants (think evolution- that's why human mothers produce it). I think the salient point is that giving them those nutrients is akin to feeding kids vegetables later on and making sure they get exercise. It's a building block for a healthy, active life, but it doesn't DETERMINE the course of one's life. That is why (as many anecdotal posts exhaustively point out) there are exceptions.

FYI- since science in general can't come to any consensus on humans anyway, there really isn't much point in getting defensive over this article. Take a deep breath and relax.

just wonderin 11-08-2007 @ 9:24PM

Why all the angst about studies for those who choose to breast feed? For those parents who maybe on the cusp of choosing, they would like this additional information. Breast feeding is a natural action of the womens' body after birth. For a whole host of reasons, some women cannot or choose not to breast feed. This does not mean your child will end up at the bottem of class. Use some rational thinking. The fact of the matter is that breast milk does have beneficial factors. Why be angry about it?

lainie4469 11-08-2007 @ 10:11PM

I agree with Lisa whole heartedly. I am a mother of 4 breast fed children, and I truely am confident that I made the best choice for all of them. How many of you can say that all of your children have never had an ear infection(my oldest is 14) ? My children have not missed a day of school and are all well rounded smart kids... I don't care who said it or what research has been done... Breast is Best.