Breastfeeding found key to brain development

Breastfeeding for at least six months can reduce the risk of neurological and cognitive development delays in children, writes salute.it.

The large-scale study was conducted by Inbal Goldshtein of the KI Research Institute in Israel and published in JAMA Network Open, CE Report quotes ATA.

The analysis included 570,532 children, more than half of whom (52.1%) were breastfed for at least six months.

Researchers monitored the children until the age of three and found that those who were breastfed for longer were less likely to develop delays in language, social, and motor skills.

The results showed that children exclusively breastfed for at least six months had a 27% lower risk of developmental delays, while those who were breastfed but not exclusively still had a 14% lower risk.

The study’s findings strengthen the evidence supporting breastfeeding as a strategy to promote early childhood development, confirming the importance of public health initiatives aimed at supporting mothers in breastfeeding.