The research shows that children who were breastfed as babies scored higher on intelligence tests than those who were bottle-fed.
Researchers used vocabulary and pattern-recognition tests to assess the cognitive development of five-year-olds, including some who had been born prematurely.
The authors claim the results suggest that children who were breastfed are ‘one to six months ahead of children who were never breastfed’.
The effect was particularly strong for children who had been born prematurely.
Study author Dr Amanda Sacker, a research professor at the University of Essex, said the essential fatty acids which are found in breast milk are ‘good for cell development and brain development in particular’.
She said there could also be hormone and growth factor differences with formula.
However, Dr Sacker has not ruled out other factors, such as children who are breastfed being cuddled more, which could give them ‘some sort of advantage’.
The study did take into account factors, such as mothers’ education and family income.
However, the researchers did not have access to other information, such as parents’ IQ levels.
But the findings, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, point toward a cause-and-effect relationship, Dr Sacker said.
The children involved in the study were born in the UK between 2000 and 2002 and the study is published in
the Journal of Pediatrics.
