Breast-feeding and Mental and Motor Development at 5½ Years

ObjectiveBreast-feeding is associated with better child development outcomes, but uncertainty remains primarily due to the close relationship between breast-feeding and socioeconomic status. This study assesses the issue in a low socioeconomic status sample where breast-feeding was close to universal.MethodsSeven hundred eighty-four Chilean children were followed longitudinally from infancy. All but four were initially breastfed, 40% nursed beyond 12 months, and infant growth was normal. Child development was assessed at 5½ years by a cognitive, language, and motor test battery. The duration of breast-feeding as the sole milk source was analyzed as a continuous variable, adjusting for a comprehensive set of background factors.ResultsThe relationship between breast-feeding and most 5½-year developmental outcomes was nonlinear, with poorer outcome for periods of breast-feeding as the sole milk source for <2 months or >8 months—statistically significant for language, motor, and one comprehensive cognitive test, with a suggestive trend for IQ.ConclusionsThe observed nonlinear relationships showed that breast-feeding as the sole milk source for <2 months or >8 months, compared with 2–8 months, was associated with poorer development in this sample. The latter finding requires replication in other samples where long breast-feeding is common and socioeconomic status is relatively homogeneous.