ERIC Number: EJ1187644
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Aug
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
On the Positive Relationship between Breastfeeding & Intelligence
Boutwell, Brian B.; Young, Jacob T. N.; Meldrum, Ryan C.
Developmental Psychology, v54 n8 p1426-1433 Aug 2018
A wealth of literature has examined the association between breastfeeding and the development of cognitive abilities in childhood. In particular, at least some evidence exists suggesting that breastfed children perform better on measures of intelligence later in life. Although a correlation appears to be present, fewer observational studies have included appropriate adjustment for potentially confounding variables; maternal intelligence, maternal education, and cognitive stimulation provided by mothers being chief among them. As a result, we analyze a national sample of approximately 790 American respondents to test the association between breastfeeding and intelligence during childhood and adolescence using multiple intelligence tests and controlling for a range of key covariates. Our results suggest that the correlation between breastfeeding throughout the first six months of life and intelligence is statistically significant and consistent, yet of substantively minor impact.
Descriptors: Nutrition, Infants, Intelligence, Correlation, Mothers, Parent Child Relationship, Educational Attainment, Adolescents, Intelligence Tests, Stimulation, Cognitive Development, Structural Equation Models, Verbal Ability, Vocabulary, Cognitive Ability, Cognitive Tests, Achievement Tests, Family Characteristics, Longitudinal Studies
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; Woodcock Johnson Psycho Educational Battery
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A