If you think 'breast is best' for your child's intelligence then think again, say scientists· Study finds mother's milk has little or no effect on IQ
· Baby's brainpower 'more a matter of inheritance'
Duh.
Breastfeeding your baby has little or no effect on its intelligence, the largest study ever conducted on the issue reveals today.
For almost 80 years research has found that children who are breastfed have higher IQs than those fed formula or cow's milk, leading to the belief that breast milk confers intelligence. But the new study suggests the reason could be simpler: breast-fed babies are smarter because their mothers are more intelligent. Higher levels of education and stimulating home environments also have an effect.
The study, conducted by the Medical Research Council and the University of Edinburgh, analysed data from 5,475 children and 3,161 mothers in in the US, collated from the US national longitudinal study of youth, 1979. The researchers looked at numerous factors including whether a child was breastfed, the home environment, socio-economic status and maternal intelligence, race and education.