Breastfed babies have better mental health
Updated: 2006-10-29 16:11  A new study has found that babies that are breastfed for longer than
six months have significantly better mental health in childhood.
The findings are based on data from the ground-breaking Raine Study at the
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, that has tracked the growth and
development of more than 2500 West Australian children over the past 16 years.
Researcher Dr Wendy Oddy said there was growing evidence that bioactive
factors in breast milk played an important role in the rapid early brain
development that occurs in the first year of life.
"Even when we adjust the results to take into account other factors such as
the parents' socio-economic situation, their education, their happiness and
family functioning, we see that children that were breastfed for at least six
months are at lower risk of mental health problems," Dr Oddy said.
The study found that children who were breastfed for less than six months
compared to six months or longer had a 52% increased risk of a mental health
problem at 2 years of age, a 55% increased risk at age 6, at age 8 the increased
risk was 61% while at age 10 the increased risk was 37%.
The analysis is based on a scientifically recognised checklist of child
behaviour that assessed the study children's behaviour at 2, 6, 8 and 10 years
of age.
Dr Oddy said that children that were breastfed had particularly lower rates
of delinquent, aggressive and anti-social behaviour, and overall were less
depressed, anxious or withdrawn.
"These results are powerful evidence for more support to be given to mothers
to help them breastfeed for longer," she said.
|
