Abstract
Thirty-six breast fed infants (BF) and 36 formula fed (FF) infants from a middle socioeconomic population were matched according to sex (16 pairs F and 20 pairs M), birth weight, gestational age, Apgar score, mode of delivery and ethnic background to aasess the effect of breast feeding on later development.
Sixty-one percent were first-born infants. The mother first held and fed her infant at 12 hours of age, and breast or formula fed the infant at 24 hours of age. Infant feeding and visitation with the mother was at 4 hour intervals for 45 minutes. Mean duration to BF was 2.96 months with a range of 1 week to 9 months. Mean maternal education of the BF group was 14.3 years and 13.8 years in the FF group.
Developmental evaluations of the 36 pairs of infants at 9 months of age showed the DQ (p<.01), fine motor development (p<.01), adaptive and language development (p<.05) scores were higher in the BF infant. Repeat examination of infants (36 pairs) at 18 to 24 months of age showed higher scores in gross motor development (p<.05). At 36 months of age 18 pairs of infants were available for testing. Adaptive behavior was found to be significantly higher in the BF infants (p<.05).
It is suggested that the act of breast feeding plays some part in the developmental achievement of the infant. Perhaps longer effects may be present. Whether this is due to primary maternal motivation to breast feed, tactile stimuli or favorable factors yet unknown requires investigation.
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Hill, R., Mcculley, L., Verniaud, W. et al. MATERNAL BREAST FEEDING AND SUBSEQUENT INFANT DEVELOPMENT. Pediatr Res 11, 378 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00053
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00053
