I’ve written about breastfeeding before- for example, it’s potential ability to preclude asthma in these breastfed children. Well, now, there seems to be another reason. Breastfed children may not develop ADHD [Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder].
Dr. Aviva Mimouni-Bloch (Tel Aviv University Medical School [TAMS]) managed a research team (Drs. Kachevanskaya [Rabin medical Center, Petach Tikve,] Mimouni, Shuper, Raveh and Linder) that effected a retrospective study. The hypothesis was to follow up on data that indicated there are neurological differences that exist among 9 year old children who were fed breast milk versus formula milk. (This was first reported by Lanting et. al. {in the Lancet] in 1994.)
This new study was published in Breastfeeding Medicine. 3 groups of children (currently 6 to 12 y of age, all diagnosed at Schneider’s Children Medical Center, Petach Tikve) were analyzed- children with ADHD, siblings of those with ADHD, and a group of children without any ADHD symptoms or genetic markers for same. One of the other key factors examined were whether these children were breast fed at 3 and at 6 months of age, as well as demographic data (that might indicate ADHD characteristics) and a series of questionnaires.
At 3 months of age, 43% of the ADHD children, 69% of the siblings, and 73% of the control group were breastfed. At 6 months, those frequencies had diminished to 25%, 50%, and 57%, respectively. These numbers further decreased to 13% of the ADHD children, compared with 25% in the siblings group and 33% in the non-related control group at 1 year of age.
Those who were bottle-fed as infants (3 months of age) were thrice as likely to manifest ADHD as those who were breastfed. This was true even accounting for all other risk factors. This is correlative- so we don’t know if it was the nature of the breast milk itself, the bond between mom and child, or some other factor in play.
The researchers are planning to continue their studies. This continued effort will be directed at those children at high risk for ADHD from birth, with 6 month follow-ups until they attain 6 years of age.
