Breast milk boosts brain development in babies by up to 30 per
cent, according to a new study.
Children exclusively fed breast milk for at least three months
have up to 30 per cent extra growth in the key parts of the brain
which control language, emotion, and understanding, say scientists.
The study of under-fours showed children who have breast milk as
part of their diet have a clear advantage when it comes to brain
development.
Research carried out at Brown University, in the U.S., found that
by the time the babies had reached their second birthday a
discernible difference could be seen in their brain structure.
Dr Sean Deoni, an engineering professor and lead author, said:
‘We're finding the difference [in white matter growth] is in the
order of 20 to 30 per cent, comparing the breastfed and the
non-breastfed kids.’
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans were taken of
the babies who had been fed a diet of breast milk in the earliest
stages of their development, and of those who had been fed formula
milk.
The scans showed that babies fed breast milk alone had the fastest
growth in myelinated white matter - tissue packed full of long nerve
fibres that link different parts of the brain that are used for
learning.
The babies who were weaned on a diet of formula were found to have
the least white matter.
Dr Deoni's team carried out the study to see how early the changes
in brain development took place.
‘We show that they're there almost right off the bat,’ he
said.
Researchers looked at the brains of 133 babies who were born on
time and came from similar families.
By comparing the myelin in older and younger children they were
able to calculate how breast milk influenced the development of white
matter.
The researchers backed up the results of the scans with a set of
basic cognitive tests that showed language performance, visual
reception and motor control were all better in the breastfed
children.
The team found that the longer the babies were fed with breast
milk the more developed their brains were, especially in the areas of
the brain associated with movement and coordination.
While the Brown study published in the journal NeuroImage is not
the first to link breastfeeding with improved development in the
young, Dr Deoni claimed it is the first time MRI scans have been used
to compare the brains in breastfed and non-breastfed children.
Dr Deoni said: ‘I think it's astounding that you could have that
much difference so early. I think I would argue that combined with
all the other evidence, it seems like breastfeeding is absolutely
beneficial.’
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