Extended breastfeeding benefits?

More and more stories have been published in the media in recent times of mothers breastfeeding way beyond the World Health Organization recommended period of six months, some going as long as when their children are six years old.

The stories have generated much debate about whether there are any benefits at all to extension, with some experts suggesting that the child’s emotional development might be stunted when this practice occurs, especially in peer group settings.

But a recent paper published by The Lancet medical journal pointed to results of a long-term Brazillian study of infants born in Pelotas, Brazil in 1982 which shows that the longer a child was breastfed (up to 12 months), the greater the magnitude of benefits.

These benefits include higher intelligence scores in adulthood, and higher earnings.

The study tracked the development of 3,500 newborns over 30 years.

“The effect of breastfeeding on brain development and child intelligence is well established,” lead author Bernardo Lessa Horta of the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil said in a statement to AFP.

“Our study provides the first evidence that prolonged breastfeeding not only increases intelligence until at least the age of 30 years but also has an impact both at an individual and societal level by improving educational attainment and earning ability.”

An individual breastfed for at least a year as a baby gained a full four IQ points, had 0.9 years more schooling, and an income of 341 Brazilian Reals (98 euros, US$104) higher per month at the age of 30, compared to those breastfed for less than one month, the study found.

“The likely mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of breast milk on intelligence is the presence of long-chain saturated fatty acids (DHAs) found in breast milk, which are essential for brain development,” said Horta.

“Our finding that predominant breastfeeding is positively related to IQ in adulthood also suggests that the amount of milk consumed plays a role.”

The Mayo Clinic said extended breastfeeding is recommended as long as mom and baby wish to continue.

“The benefits of extended breastfeeding for a baby include:

*Balanced nutrition. Breast milk is considered the gold standard for infant nutrition. As your baby gets older, the composition of your breast milk will continue to change to meet his or her nutritional needs. There’s no known age at which breast milk is considered to become nutritionally insignificant for a child.

*Boosted immunity. As long as you breastfeed, the cells, hormones and antibodies in your breast milk will continue to bolster your baby’s immune system.

* Improved health. Research suggests that the longer breastfeeding continues and the more breast milk a baby drinks, the better his or her health might be.”