Article

This study investigated whether duration of full breastfeeding is associated
with child neuropsychological development and whether this association is
explained by social, psychological, and nutritional factors within families.
METHOD: Participants in this study were a population-based birth cohort in the
city of Sabadell (Catalonia, Spain). Females were recruited during the first
trimester of pregnancy between July 2004 and July 2006. Information about
parental characteristics and breastfeeding was obtained through questionnaires.
Full breastfeeding was categorized as never, short term (</=4mo), long term
(4-6mo), or very long term (>6mo). A trained psychologist assessed the
neuropsychological development of children at 4 years of age (n=434) using the
McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA). RESULTS: Full breastfeeding
showed an independent association with child general MSCA scores after adjusting
for a range of social, psychological, and nutritional factors (>6mo,
coefficient=7.4 [95% confidence interval=2.8-12.0], p=0.011). Maternal social
class, education level, and IQ were also associated with child neuropsychological
scores, but did not explain breastfeeding associations. Omega-3 (n3) fatty acid
levels were not associated with child neuropsychological scores. INTERPRETATION:
Very long-term full breastfeeding was independently associated with
neuropsychological functions of children at 4 years of age. Maternal indicators
of intelligence, psychopathology, and colostrum n3 fatty acids did not explain
this association.
CI - (c) 2013 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS