WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Study: Breast-feeding builds babies' brains

September 23, 2011

Chrissy Allen is breast-feeding her newborn daughter, Maddie, just like she did her other three children.

"I think it's the healthiest for the baby. It's the most natural, easiest for them to digest," Allen said.

Research shows breast-feeding protects babies against infection, asthma and obesity. But there may be another benefit. A new study in the journal Pediatrics finds babies who are breast-fed show higher mental development at 14 months.

"We look at their motor skills, we look at their language skills," said Dr. Jessica Sessions, a pediatrician at William F. Ryan Community Health Center.

A link between breast-feeding and brain development isn't new, but factors such as the mother's education and income were thought to play a role. This study shows the benefits are independent of those social factors.

"It's the composition of the breast milk. Even though we're not sure exactly, they're looking at certain types of fatty acids that they think are making a positive impact on the baby's brain," Sessions explained.

The study also found the greater the amount of breast milk, the greater the benefit.

For Chrissy Allen, studies like this one reinforce her decision to breast-feed.

"It was difficult to do at the beginning and difficult to stick through with this many children, but it makes me happy and proud of myself as a mother knowing I really am doing what is best for her," Allen said.

And she says the greatest benefit of all-- bonding with her new baby.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies receive only breast milk for the first six months of life. While about 75 percent start out being breast-fed, less than 15 percent are exclusively breast-fed at six months.