Are Breast-Fed Babies Smarter than formula fed babies? An
18-year study by John Horwood and David Fergusson comparing
the IQ test scores and rates of high school completion of
1,000 children says that might be the case.
According to the
researchers at Christchurch School of Medicine in New Zealand
breast-fed infants may have higher intelligence and greater
academic achievement than formula-fed infant. The
investigators believe that the DHA found in mother's milk -
and not in formula - may be the reason.
Taking social,
familial and prenatal factors into account, the study found
that breast-fed babies were 38 percent more likely to graduate
from high school than formula-fed infants.
The study could not
conclude that DHA in mother's milk was the sole cause of
improved scores, however the authors say that the outcome of
this study was similar to others that show DHA-supplemented
formulas improve early neurological
development in infants.
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Are Breast-Fed Babies Smarter than formula fed babies? An
18-year study by John Horwood and David Fergusson comparing
the IQ test scores and rates of high school completion of
1,000 children says that might be the case.
