A recent study reported that breast-feed babies may grow up to be smarter adults. Any idea why this may be?

Answer 1

No clue because you can't take a humen being, rase it on breast milk, test their IQ when they are older then reverse time to infance with that EXACT SAME human and give them formula and later test their IQ to see if it made a difference.

Genetics, experiences, nature, all these have a basis in what you are going to be, High IQ included. Even twins raised in the same household can have different IQs.

Answer 2

I know a whole family of people who were breast fed by a mother and they are all pretty slow. Seriously. I also know someone else who was breast fed and he is kind of unstable and creepy and weird. I also know of many people who were breastfed and they seriously dont seem very bright. Now the same goes for formula fed babies too. On a small note my sisters baby is three weeks apart from my own baby..she breast feeds I dont..my baby is sitting up on its own rolling over very intersted in her surroundings content and smiling. People often tell me I have a smart/sharp baby and a happy baby. They do not say this about hers because her baby screams all the time all day long doesnt roll over cant sit on her own and seems very disinterested in her environment. That is proof to me that breast feeding doesnt really make a difference.

Answer 3

I saw this report. It also stated that the majority of the mothers of those breast-fed babies were also better educated, had more access to health care and were better off financially. Rather than support the claim that breastfeeding makes kids smarter, the study threw into question whether genetics, social, and financial status had something to do with making smarter babies.

Answer 4

Correlation does not indicate causation.

Further research suggests that the relationship exists because mothers that breast feed are on average smarter than those that don't, and the baby is smarter because of the mother's genes, not from being breast fed.

Answer 5

From breastfeeding.com

Perhaps one of the most important stories that hasn't made your local paper (but has been on the newsfeeds) is that there is a demonstrated direct relation between a child's intelligence and cognitive ability and how long that child was breastfed. Some studies show an increase in intelligence for each additional month the child was breastfed.

Could you give your child a more important gift than a better brain? The findings are hardly surprising when we consider that the brain is only 1/3 formed at birth, and that breastmilk has been evolutionarily honed over millions of years to complete building the brain during the first two years of life. Cow's milk has been evolutionarily honed to.., hmm.., maybe build big bones? Whoever heard of a smart cow?

http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_iq.html

It also has 2 articles there that discuss it in further detail.

Answer 6

I do believe breast fed babies benefit from the antibodies they receive from their mothers but I do not believe it will make them smarter,I believe it is in the familys genetics and the personality of the baby/person.My brother who was formula fed 36 years ago is an actuary!!Back then they did not have near the good formula we have these days so I believe he is living proof that it really does not make that much of a difference.Myself I was breast fed and I am not an actuary but still very smart.

Answer 7

Maybe the skin on skin contact and being so close to the mother stimulates brain function.
Perhaps a mother that is dedicated enough to breast feed is more likely to take the time to teach her child as well.

Answer 8

It's not a causal relationship. It's an associative one.

Essentially, mothers with higher IQs are more likely to breastfeed. Genetically, smarter moms tend to have smarter babies. Hence, on the surface, breastfed babies tend to be smarter. But it's not because they were breastfed; it's because their parents tend to be smarter.

When researchers controlled for parental IQ, environment, etc., they found no difference in intelligence between breastfed and formula fed babies.

Answer 9

I have no idea. But I agree that they are smarter.

I breast fed my daughter for two years and she was fully reading by age 3. Straight A's in school and so well behaved.

Plus she has never been to the hospital or doctor other than for her regular check-ups and shots. Never taken a prescription. Rarely even gets a cold.

I was 20 when I had her and I sure had a tough time at the start trying to get her to feed. But after the first week everything was great. Well worth the effort. Very tender, close moments. I think the connection gets stronger between mother and child.

It's the best thing you can do for your child. The best start you can give them. And one or two months is not enough. Stick it out for atleast a year...even better two. Self-sacrifice.

Answer 10

I think that's a far-fetched claim.... formula fed babies still go to Harvard!!