Search Results

Title: Effect of Breast Feeding on Intelligence in Children: Prospective Study, Sibling Pairs Analysis, and Meta-Analysis
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Reading, Richard
Effect of Breast Feeding on Intelligence in Children: Prospective Study, Sibling Pairs Analysis, and Meta-Analysis
Child: Care, Health and Development 33,1 (January 2007): 110-111.
Also: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2006.00723_5.x/full
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing, Inc. => Wiley Online
Keyword(s): Bias Decomposition; Breastfeeding; Cognitive Ability; I.Q.; Intelligence Tests; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading)

Objective To assess the importance of maternal intelligence, and the effect of controlling for it and other important confounders, in the link between breastfeeding and children's intelligence. Design Examination of the effect of breastfeeding on cognitive ability and the impact of a range of potential confounders, in particular maternal IQ, within a national database. Additional analyses compared pairs of siblings from the sample who were and were not breastfed. The results are considered in the context of other studies that have also controlled for parental intelligence via meta-analysis. Setting 1979 US national longitudinal survey of youth. Subjects Data on 5475 children, the offspring of 3161 mothers in the longitudinal survey. Main outcome measure IQ in children measured by Peabody individual achievement test. Results The mother's IQ was more highly predictive of breastfeeding status than were her race, education, age, poverty status, smoking, the home environment, or the child's birthweight or birth order. One standard deviation advantage in maternal IQ more than doubled the odds of breastfeeding. Before adjustment, breastfeeding was associated with an increase of around 4 points in mental ability. Adjustment for maternal intelligence accounted for most of this effect. When fully adjusted for a range of relevant confounders, the effect was small (0.52) and non-significant (95% confidence interval −0.19 to 1.23). The results of the sibling comparisons and meta-analysis corroborated these findings. Conclusions Breastfeeding has little or no effect on intelligence in children. While breastfeeding has many advantages for the child and mother, enhancement of the child's intelligence is unlikely to be among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Child: Care, Health & Development is the property of Blackwell Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's ex press written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts)

Bibliography Citation
Reading, Richard. "Effect of Breast Feeding on Intelligence in Children: Prospective Study, Sibling Pairs Analysis, and Meta-Analysis." Child: Care, Health and Development 33,1 (January 2007): 110-111.