Kids who were breastfed longer have higher IQs, new study shows

Cayle went 2 years, Lindy 1. Got to get my kids as much help as they can get! I was amazed that only 35% of women are still breastfeeding at 6 months. Although after seeing my wife go through it, I definitely understand how much work it can be.

Young children who were breastfed as infants scored higher on intelligence tests than formula-fed kids, and the longer and more exclusively they were breastfed, the greater the difference, say Harvard University researchers in a study published today in JAMA Pediatrics.
This study adds “to the body of literature of the association between duration of breastfeeding and cognition,” says NBC News diet and health editor Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph. D., CNS. But does breastfeeding make your child smarter? Fernstrom says this study shows an association, not cause and effect.

The researchers analyzed 1,312 expectant mothers enrolled between 1999 and 2002 in Project Viva, a study in eastern Massachusetts examining pregnancy and child health, and the children they delivered.

The researchers found that 7-year-olds whose moms had done any breastfeeding during the child’s first year - exclusively or in combination with formula - gained a little more than a third of a point in verbal IQ for each month of breastfeeding compared to children who were never breastfed. That means if the mom did any mix of breastfeeding for the entire 12 months, the gain would be 4.2 verbal IQ points.

The association between breastfeeding and intelligence was stronger when researchers broke out children whose moms exclusively breastfed during the first six months. Those 7-year-olds showed an increase of four-fifths of a point in verbal IQ each month over children who were never breastfed. That translates into a 4.8 point gain in verbal IQ if exclusively breastfed during their entire first six months of life.

The results were similar although smaller in magnitude for non-verbal IQ.
“I would take three or four IQ points any given day,” says pediatrician Michael Georgieff, director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Development at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Georgieff was not involved in the current study. “It’s a pretty significant shift, especially demographically across the world if everyone were to make that gain.” For context, the average IQ is 100, and about 67 percent of people have IQ scores somewhere between 85 and 115. 
Georgieff praised the study’s design. There is really good evidence that breastfeeding reduces ear infections, diarrhea and eczema in infants, he says, but “it’s really hard to do studies of cognition.” That’s because there are many variables associated with both a child’s tested intelligence and a mother’s choice to breastfeed.  

The Harvard study, unlike most past studies, controlled for these and other variables, including the mother’s intelligence, education level, and any postpartum depression; family income and home environment; and the child’s race, ethnicity, sex and birth weight.
“As a result, we felt we were able to get a reasonable estimate of what the relationship is between the length of breastfeeding and the IQ of the child at school age,” says Dr. Mandy Belfort, lead author and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
The study results show that “exclusive breastfeeding is becoming more and more important,” says physicist Sean Deoni, head of Brown University’s Advanced Baby Imaging Lab and lead author of a recent brain imaging study that linked exclusive breastfeeding to enhanced brain development in children. “And it’s not like you get an early advantage that falls away. Their study showed that the advantage seems to persist,” says Deoni.

Belfort says researchers don’t know for sure why breast milk may increase cognition. “All the nutrients we know that are important for infants are also in formula, but there may be others that we don’t know about yet that are responsible” for this small but significant effect.
For example, beneficial fatty acids found in breast milk have been routinely added to formula in the United States since about 2002. But a class of carbohydrates called oligosaccharides found in breast milk and thought to be beneficial to a baby’s health and brain development is not yet found in formula, says Georgieff.

In addition, it is difficult to make cow’s milk mimic human milk because “you just never get the entire matrix right - all the proteins and fats and all the live cells that are in there,” says Georgieff. “We are only starting to learn now what all those things are and how they work together.”
In the meantime, Belfort says the study’s findings support the current breastfeeding recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics: Babies should be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months of life, meaning no additional foods or fluids unless medically indicated. Babies should continue to breastfeed for a year and for as long as mother and baby desire, says the academy.
But while 70 percent of women in the United States start breastfeeding, by the six-month mark, only 35 percent are still breastfeeding, according to Dr. Dmitri Christakis, co-chair of the Excellence in Paediatrics Global Breastfeeding Initiative, in an editorial accompanying today’s research paper. Christakis calls for insurance coverage of postpartum home visits by public health nurses and of breast pumps. And he says workplaces need to provide spaces for mother’s to use those pumps.
“If data continue to mount that extended breast feeding is a major health plus for child development, it would be important to create an environment where women are both willing and able to continue to breastfeed,” says Fernstrom.

Follow your passions!

My dads acceptance speech for an award that he received from his alma mater.

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St. Mary's

Our church. One of the things that we've talked about missing the most about Colorado is our church. St. Mary's in Eagle, CO. It's such a quaint little church that's overflowing with parishioners every Sunday. Never any empty seats. Compare that to where we are moving, and each of the 3 churches we could go to are huge, with open seats at most masses. It's going to be a bit of culture shock for sure.

But what really makes a church special is the pastor. We have known Father Bob for 5 years now. We knew upon meeting him that he was special. He does a phenomenal job of keeping traditions yet at the same time not being afraid to step outside the "boundaries" to make people feel special. He really made masses enjoyable for us. I'm sure a good pastor at our next parish will go a long way toward helping us transition to the larger congregations.

Next week we will be celebrating mass in a new church...

 

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Major packing

Major packing day today! Lack of toys left out means the kids have to get creative...

Playing with rocks.

Heading to a concert on the "boat..."

Riding Wahoo, a toy that has been long forgotten...

We are almost finished packing! Cayle got a final haircut on the deck today from mom.

And of course we took a it of time for lunch on the deck and one of our favorite beers from the local brewery!

 

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Being Silly

Talking to roosters at the fair...

Emptying the crawl space...

Well.... That's what happens when you wear a bucket on you're head...

Dancing with mommy at concert in the park...

 

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Counting down...

Tomorrow will be exactly 1 week till moving day. We are making the most of the time we have left. Doing lots of packing, but still trying to find time for fun with friends. Last night I went to Bonfire Brewery with the guys. I rode my bike over, I love riding my bike to the brewery! It was a great time. Relaxing and played a bunch of football with Justin, who's a ton of fun to play with!

Tonight, Natalie headed out to have a few drinks and watch a movie with Alana. There was a showing for the house after dinner, so I took Cayle for a bike ride, and we made a pit stop by the park. He and Lindy play so well together! I love it!

This morning Cayle picked some beets and carrots from the garden. He really enjoys checking out the garden with me.

 

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House/moving update

 

When the house went on the market we were averaging 2-3 showings a week. Then we had a period of about 3 weeks with nothing. Then in a half hour a few days ago, I had 3 realtors call to set up showings, and it hasn't stopped. Which is good. The more the better. Hopefully we can get some offers soon!

We finally found a rental in Effingham, IL. About 2 miles from Natalie's school, about 10 miles from my parents, and a block from a large park and the pool. Has a large back yard for the dogs and the kids. We are excited for the future!

Packing is going well, and things are being stored in the garage. T-11 days till the truck leaves the driveway... We're having our last big party tomorrow to see all our friends.

 

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Pics from my ride

One of my fave trails. Brutal climb up to it, so it doesn't see many people.

My nemesis. This irrigation ditch seems to get me every time... Good today though!

Never get tired of these views!

 

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Such a downer

Was supposed to race last night. A 3.5 mile uphill time trial. In this type of race it's entirely about how many watts per kilogram of body weight to determine how fast you will go. So lighter is always better! I borrowed a friends bike that weighs about 21-22 lbs. 4-5 lbs lighter than mine. I hit my target body weight of 161 lbs (lightest i can ever remember being! and was telling my brother yesterday, at my heaviest I was 245...) through strict eating habits, and my fitness was good to go! Race was cancelled due to rain and lightning... :-( that's bike racing though, now to hold the fitness and weight thru next week...

 

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Gonna miss this place!

Yeti's Grind this morning with the kids. Luckily there is also a pretty nice coffee shop in Effingham. The biggest difference will almost surely just be the clientele, and the fact that I won't be racing for that coffee shop.

 

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Drumming on his HotWheel

 

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A Kid-Friendly Zoo

We took a trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo when my parents were in town.  Nick hadn't ever been to this zoo, and Michelle and the kids always enjoy it, so it seemed like a fun activity to do with grandma in tow. 

This zoo has so many hands-on, up-close experiences for the kids.  The biggest adventure at the zoo is seeing the giraffes.  The exhibit puts you at eye-level with the giraffes, instead of the traditional "looking up" at them idea.  So while you're at eye-level with the giraffes, you may as well feed them! 

The zoo also has a brand new elephant exhibit which is pretty cool.  The last time the kids and I were there we didn't get to see the elephants.  But Cayle and Lindy really enjoyed them this time!

 Cayle got to pet a baby marsupial.  It was 7 months old and soooo small!

 The kids' first time to have Dippin' Dots.  Cayle loves being a big brother :)

 Ha ha, this was hilarious.  Mom got stuck behind a big peacock!

 Playground equipment for the kids :)