Can Breast feeding Increase your Child's IQ?

The motto of the World Breastfeeding Organization this year is "save one million babies by breastfeeding". The emphasis is focused on the importance of enhancing brain health and immunity by breastfeeding during the newborn’s first hour of life.

Breastfeeding in the first hour, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, could save 41 percent of newborns who would otherwise die in their first month of life.

Breastfeeding right away increases the likelihood that babies will continue to breastfeed, and also gives them colostrum, a mother’s first milk. Colostrum, often called the “perfect food for every newborn,” is rich in antibodies and essential nutrients.

Mothers also benefit greatly from early breastfeeding through improved lactation and less blood loss. The first hour after birth should be a sacred time between a mother and baby, so they’re able to bond naturally. One of the best ways to do this is by placing the newborn on the mother’s chest, skin-to-skin. During this time, babies actually feel less pain and it’s not uncommon for the baby to intuitively latch on to feed.

Campaigns like this one are greatly needed to counteract widespread infant formula ads that often make it seem like bottle-feeding is superior to breastfeeding. Unfortunately, in the developing world, the average family does believe that bottle-feeding is better for babies than breast milk.

Of course, this is completely false. Breastfeeding is the smartest choice ,the least expensive and most effective way to improve the health of both yourself and your baby. It offers your child lifelong health benefits for brain development and a stronger immune system.

Breast milk boosts your child’s immune system naturally, promoting greater resilience against most common childhood illnesses and diseases. Many mothers who breastfed their babies have reported that their children were completely free of illness for the first several years, and have maintained unusually good health even as they’ve grown older. 

Several studies have also shown that breastfeeding can improve your child’s IQ, with breastfed children scoring an average of three to five points higher than formula-fed babies. The reason for this is that breast milk contains long-chain fatty acids, including animal based omega 3 fats like  DHA and AA, which appear to support brain development.

These nutrients have recently been added to some infant formulas sold in the United States, however the DHA added to formula is inferior to that in breast milk, as it may be highly oxidized. Meanwhile, breast milk contains other important fat constituents beyond DHA and AA that your baby simply won't get from formula. 

Encouraging breastfeeding and initiating skin-to-skin contact shortly after birth can make a huge difference in the future health of your child. It can also improve your own experience with parenting, since breastfeeding stimulates the release of the oxytocin hormone, which is known to promote maternal behavior. 

Additionally, if you need to go back to work but want to continue breastfeeding, look into the possibility of pumping or expressing your milk, and remember most states have laws to support breastfeeding mothers.

As a precautionary note, please do your research in formula is an option you choose. Do not give your baby soy-milk or soy-based baby formula, as they are grossly deficient in nutrients, usually derived from genetically modified crops and are high in chemicals that cross the blood brain barrier and can affect brain development. Choose right, choose smart, and choose health.

Better Brain tip

1)     It is important to remember that what you eat becomes your milk and will affect your newborn. Choose a healthy diet full of nutrient rich foods avoid over processed foods and those high in “additional” ingredients and sugar.

2)     Eat as clean as possible by avoiding GMO foods, high fructose, hydrogenated oils, corn syrup and artificial sweeteners.

3)     Hydrate!