Scientists at the University of Glasgow have found that babies who are fed breast milk or a mixture of formula and breast milk for the first six weeks of their lives are at the lowest risk for special educational needs and learning disabilities. The research was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.
Researchers looked at health and education data from more than 190,000 children born in Scotland since 2004. During the first six to eight weeks of life of the children included in the study, 66.2% were bottle fed, 25.3% were breastfed, and 8.5% were mixed.
Compared to formula feeding, mixed feeding reduced the risk of educational problems by 10% and exclusive breastfeeding by 20%.
Exclusively breastfed children were also less likely to have emotional or behavioral difficulties (about 20% less) and physical health problems (about 25% less).
“Many women have struggled to breastfeed exclusively for the full six months recommended by the WHO, but our study shows that shorter duration or mixed feeding may also be beneficial for the child’s development,” the scientists said.