New research now shows that breastfed infants grow up to have higher IQs compared to those who were bottle-fed. 191 pairs of siblings in which one is breastfed while you the other is formula fed were compared in a national survey. Using siblings helped control for factors like family environment or parent’s intelligence.
Results showed that the sibling who was breastfed had a 12-14% higher GPA (grade point average) in high school and had a higher tendency to go to college. Not only does breastfeeding affect intelligence level, it has been shown that GPA increased proportionally to each additional month of breastfeeding. Their physical health was also better overall.
Scientists think that certain fatty acids in the breast milk support the brain and nervous system development. They advise mothers to breastfeed their infants for at least the first year after birth, making sure that breast milk is the only source of food for the first six months.
