The first few years of life reflect the most intensive period of brain development. Brain development is crucial for your child’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth. This is crucial for his survival.
There are many ways parents can support this development. One of the most basic (and vital) is providing the necessary nutrients for brain as well as overall growth.
Breast Milk is Best!
All over the world, there is increasing recognition of the effects of breastfeeding on intelligence in children. According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), breastfeeding is not only important for health, but enhances brain development. Breast milk contains vital nutrients that are essential for brain development:
How the Brain Works
Our brain comprises of many areas that perform specific functions such as connecting vision, feelings, language, and movement. Within each of these brain areas are millions of neurons (nerve cells), which send messages to each other across synapses. Connections are then made, allowing the various areas to communicate and function together.
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Fats – Breast milk contains greater levels of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, notably DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and AA (arachidonic acid), which play a significant role in the development of the brain (e.g. synaptogenesis, membrane function, and potentially, myelination).
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Cholesterol – This is also found in high concentrations in breast milk. Cholesterol is important to facilitate myelinisation of the central nervous system and the brain, which has a high lipid and cholesterol content.
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Taurine – Taurine is an important amino acid found in great concentrations in breast milk and plays an important role in the development of brain tissue. It is also crucial for the synthesis and release of the brain neurotransmitters. Because a baby’s body is unable to form taurine on its own, it is vital that what they eat provides an ample supply.
More Benefits from Breastfeeding
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Breastfeeding protects babies from illnesses that can cause malnutrition, learning, and hearing difficulties.
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Breastfeeding ensures frequent interaction and exposes babies to language, positive social behaviour, and significant stimuli.
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Breastfeeding enables better visual development and visual activity, leading to reading and learning readiness.
“Excellent Brain Food,” Says Research
A substantial body of research has demonstrated the benefits of breast milk on brain development. Some of the prominent ones are shown in Table 1 below:
Table 1: Studies on Breastfeeding and Children’s Intelligence
Source Findings Rodgers, 1978 Higher scores for intelligence, reading, mathematical attainment, and verbal ability were obtained by the breastfed children. Horwood & Fergusson, 1998 Increased IQ, increased performance on standardised tests, higher teacher ratings, and high school achievement. Mortensen et al., 2002 Average IQ score of 104 if breastfed for over 9 months compared with 99.4 for less than 1 month.
Give Your Child the Best
The World Health Organisation (WHO) strongly recommends exclusive breastfeeding for a full 6 months. Thereafter, breastfeeding is continued with the addition of appropriate complementary foods to 2 years and beyond. It is important that you should consider the recommended duration of breastfeeding as this can make a difference in brain development during the early years of life. For information and tips on effective breastfeeding, please visit www.mypositiveparenting.org.
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