Are breast fed babies smarter than formula fed ones?

Answer 1

Research has shown that formula steals IQ points from babies. IQ is not really a measure of how smart a child is, but there is no real way to measure "smarts". And the difference is only a few IQ points, which would only matter in the case of severe mental retardation. There is also no way to tell if any *individual* baby will be harmed by formula feeding, since you can't raise a baby one way, then go back and raise her/him differently and compare.

Answer 2

There are many studies that would love to prove that, but if you read them you will see that it all comes down to health.
Yes, breast milk has many health benefits and it is much better than formula, but that does not mean that a formula fed baby will develop less.
In the 60 and 70 there was a big trend of formula feeding and it was even preferred over breast. Are those people less smart? There are many doctors, lawyers, professors and so on from that generation and they did just fine on formula.

Don't get me wrong, I breastfed my baby for 8 months because I could, but i have many friends who formula fed and their babies are developing just as good as mine.
I was formula fed myself and and got a PhD- so my answer would be - NO breast milk does not influence the IQ but it sure has health benefits.

Whatever works for you, you should do, and this will be best for your baby.

Good luck!

Answer 3

There is some, very little, but some medical evidence to support this. Mostly the findings are based on the fact that breastfed babies receive more nurturing, the mother is more responsive to the baby's needs, the response is more immediate, the bond is greater and the baby grows up to feel more supported, not really the ingredients of breast milk over formula but all of the other positives of nursing over bottle feeding.

Don't get me wrong, formula has come a long way and this, like most other research, is a generalization, there are always exceptions

Answer 4

This is definitely a controversial topic. There are medical studies that show that when corrected for everything else, breastfed babies have IQ's a few points higher than bottle fed babies (about 3 to as many as 8 points higher, depending on the study). Thats a pretty small difference. If you think about it, a person with an IQ of 109 and 103 function exactly the same, so I'm not sure that it makes a great deal of difference.

There are plenty of other benefits to breastfeeding. It provides antibodies which protect baby from many common respiratory and intestinal diseases, and also contains living immune cells. Breastfeeding as an infant also provides protection from developing immune system cancers such as lymphoma, bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and celiac sprue, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, all of which are related to immune system function. And breastfed babies generally mount a more effective response to childhood immunizations. In all these cases, benefits begin immediately, and increase with increasing duration of breastfeeding.

So as far as I'm concerned, these benefits are far more important than few gained IQ points.

You can learn more here:
http://medicalreporter.health.org/tmr0297/breastfeed0297.html

Answer 5

Children who were breastfed have IQ scores averaging 7 to 10 points higher than children who were formula fed.

The intellectual advantage gained from breastfeeding is greater the longer the baby is breastfed.

Intellectual differences between breastfed and formula-fed children that used to be attributed to the increased holding and interaction associated with breastfeeding and to the fact that mothers who breastfed were better educated and/or more child centered may be attributable to nutrients in breast milk that actually enhance brain growth.

As a parent of breastfed babies that were superior going in to school, I would have to agree. My daughter was breastfed for 2 years and she is a straight "A" student. My son started reading when he was 2 and was reading at an adult level by the time he was 4.

Answer 6

I recently took a pysch. course on child development, and the answer is yes, but probably not for the reasons that you'd think:

Store bought formula basically has a lot of sugars and empty carbs. so it makes babies eat, get full, and sleep more compared with breastfed babies.

Breast milk has more nutrients so babies digest it faster and easier, requiring more feedings.

When parents are required to feed their babies more, they are usually interacting with them either by talking, singing or smiling-- and babies respond to this, ultimately picking up concepts faster and more thoroughly.

Breastmilk does have other benefits though: less ear infections, less colic, better immune system....

I hope this was helpful...I guess it paying attention in class really did help!

Answer 7

No they are not smarter, my baby was on formula and she is above average on everything she does, whether they are breast fed or formula fed does not determine whether they are going to be smarter than one another, its usually genetics.

Answer 8

Breast-fed babies' IQ is three to five points higher than that of formula-fed babies, according to researchers at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center. The findings are published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Breastfed babies have a lower incidence of infection, anemia, diarrhea, meningitis, diabetes, gastroenteritis, asthma, constipation, allergies, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, dental and speech problems, childhood cancer, pulmonary disease, cataracts, high cholesterol, and many more. Artificially fed babies are three to four times as likely as bottle-fed infants to suffer from ear infections and lower respiratory infections, and sixteen times more likely to be sick during the first two months of life.

Answer 9

Some doctors say yes and the others say no. I think a doctor will tell you anything to get you to breastfeed. I breast fed both of my children and they are right on track with the other kids at their daycare. Not above average or below. They are just kids.

Answer 10

Yes they are! Studies have shown that Breastfed babies have higher IQs and have faster brain and eye development than formula fed babies. In addition, the longer the baby is breastfed, the higher their IQ performance.