IQ in Bottlefed or Breastfed Babies

Effect of Breastfeeding on Intelligence in Children:

Prospective study, sibling pairs analysis, and meta-analysis

A study published in the October 2006 edition of the British Medical Journal finds there is no difference in IQ between children who were breastfed compared to those who were formula fed.  This study counters the findings of previous research in this area.  Researchers examined data on 5,475 children of 3,161 mothers to assess the link between breastfeeding and child intelligence.  This study measured IQ of the children using the Peabody individual achievement test (PIAT).  This information was paired with data on infant feeding method provided by the mothers.  The researchers took into account differences in maternal IQ, age, socioeconomic status and education level, and found that of all the variables, maternal IQ had the strongest influence on the intelligence of the child.  Further, the study indicates that contradictory findings linking IQ with breastfeeding are based on research that fails to adjust for maternal intelligence.  By adjusting for maternal IQ, the effect of breastfeeding on IQ is effectively eliminated.  The study confirms that breastfeeding offers “an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants,” but improvements in a child’s intelligence cannot be included among those benefits.  There is no measurable difference between the IQ of breastfed children compared to formula-fed children.   

Der G, Batty GD, Deary IJ. Effect of breast feeding on intelligence in children: prospective study, sibling pairs analysis, and meta-analysis. BMJ  2006:389786995, doi:10.1136/bmj.38978.699583.55.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7575/945?maxtoshow=&...resourcetype=HWCIT