Infants who breastfeed are smarter, faster and stronger, according to a new study. The research found babies brought up on formula milk performed worse in mathematics, memory, IQ, and motor function tests at the age of seven compared to their breast-fed peers.They also had a smaller volume of grey matter in their brains, an area important for processing and transmitting neural signals to other parts of the brain.
New mothers are advised to breastfeed for the first six months to protect their babies against infections and allergies. Publishing this study in the Journal of Pediatrics, the research team at Brigham and Women's Hospital is urging women to consider nursing for longer.
Researchers measured the children's brain volumes using MRI scans - first at six months, then at seven years old.
Once they reached seven, the children underwent a series of tests - IQ, reading, mathematics, attention, working memory, language, visual perception and physical movement.
The findings show that by age seven, these breast-fed children performed better in IQ, mathematics, working memory, and motor function tests.
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