Smart Mothers Breastfeed
October 4, 2006 by kate baggott
Filed under Breastfeeding
Smart mothers, educated mothers, informed mothers and healthy mothers breastfeed. As an extension, infants who are breastfed are smarter and healthier — or so goes current wisdom. Breastmilk, though, is not an IQ-booster say researchers from the Medical Research Council and University of Edinburgh. If that contradicts everything you’ve been told before, that’s because it is contradictory.
“Previous research has suggested it raises a child’s IQ but experts now argue it has no effect. There are benefits to breastfeeding - it is definitely the smart thing to do, they said – but raising intelligence levels is not one of them,” reported The Scotsman.
Data for the study came from 5,475 children and 3,161 mothers in the US. The information was collected by the US National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 .
As a breastfeeding mother, I am rather sceptical of this new research. I would like to see a metastudy on all the published papers on this topic before I can accept this conclusion.
I can’t imagine there will ever be any kind of study that proves one way or another whether breast feeding improves IQ, etc. There are just entirely way to many variables including the random things that just happen inside the cells and DNA that we just don’t understand. And if such a study does come out, it will be disproved with another study shortly afterward.
But, as long as there is debate on the issue, the grant money will keep flowing.
But that’s just my opinion as a formula raised father of formula raised twins.
And, as long as the formula companies are giving out some of those grants….
SIGH.
I am feeling depleted by constant contradiction.
Yep. Frustrating and confusing especially when both methods do seem to work pretty well.
Well, It wasn’t an option for me although I would have loved to. My kids aren’t any different in a better/worse sense than their many cousins who were breastfed. Interestingly, my sister lost her first pregnancy at 20 weeks and experienced great pain with the milk coming in. She delivered a healthy baby girl this February but never got any milk. Go figure on that one. I think it just goes to show that there’s more we don’t know than we do and we always find whatever we’re looking for. Which is why research is constantly shifting, in my humble opinion. The good news is that there’s as many pros on both sides so either way we win. ;o)
Hugs,
Holly
Holly’s Corner
Holly,
As long as kids aren’t going hungry, I am happy.
What if they go hungry because they are refusing their carrots and holding out for dessert?
Oh wait. That comes after the breastfeeding/formula phase. Back to my regularly scheduled kids.
We occassionally have a backwards dinner which means we eat dessert first…or the left instead of the right to start.
I’d want to know what other factors were considered and/or weeded out – breastfeeding trends change with the times and different socioeconomic classes breastfeed/formula-feed throughout the years. I’d be curious what the study does to account for economic and social factors.
Of course I feel good erring on the side of breastfeeding anyway. There are so many benefits, whether or not it raises IQ.
I don’t remember where I read it, but it seems like there was a study recently against breastfeeding because the diets of the moms was bad and affecting the milk.
I’m not worried about IQ. Professional sports are where the real money is
Mike, I would love to see that study because I can hardly believe it’s true. In areas where nutrition is poor, it’s even more important for mothers to breastfeed.
twocatmommy,
It wasn’t a study of areas where nutrition is poor like Africa or anything like that. It was poor nutrition like you find in America. Fast food, high sugar, chemicals on the vegies and fruit. The rich kind of poor nutrition.
And we’re supposed to believe that cows are eating better than rich Americans? That the cows don’t eat grass and grains with pesticides, and take antibiotics and growth hormones?
Yes studies will show pesticides in breast milk (often breast milk is tested rather than blood, simply because it’s easily collected and tested), but that in no way leads to a conclusion that mothers who desire to breastfeed should not do so. Breast milk remains the superior infant food.
I am not interested in getting into an argument over it. I have no interest in what other people feed their kids or what they think I should feed my kids.
My point was only to show that without looking very hard you can find studies that will show completely contradictory information and therefore should do what is best for you and your family for the reasons that are important for you and your family.
Breastfeeding/bottle feeding is a passionate topic, but remember, this isn’t necessarily about the food that is best for kids.
The contradictory research is a construct to delay (or prevent) real policy discussion and divide political pressure. Basically, if infant feeding is reduced to “a choice” it means that conversations about humane parental leaves, financial support of parents in terms of work/government benefits, and the long term implications for children of having appropriate infant care (performed by parents or someone else) don’t have to be discussed.
Mike, there is no debate. I don’t care what anyone feeds their child either. What I care about is when mothers who want to breastfeed are given misinformation that would lead them to question whether breastfeeding is the right choice for them, or cause them to worry unnecessarily about the quality of their milk.