Doctors have for long said that breastfeeding is good for both mother and child. Now, a study has found that it also makes children more intelligent, mainly the boys.
An international team, led by University of Western Australia, has carried out the study and found breastfeeding helps babies achieve academic success by the age of 10, and the effect is strongest in boys.
According to researchers, there may be substances in breastmilk that help the brain develop. This effect may be more pronounced in boys because they lack the female hormones which are known to protect the brain.
Boys are more responsive to maternal attention when learning which could explain why breastfeeding had a greater effect on them, the researchers said.
“The positive effect of predominant breastfeeding for six months or longer on academic achievement can be viewed as shifting the mean population score upward, particularly for the boys.
“Our study adds to growing evidence that breastfeeding for at least six months has beneficial effects on optimal child development. Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed for six months and beyond,” lead author Wendy Oddy was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying.