Articles labeled: breast milk

Well this ought to make for some interesting fodder on the feeding choices debate boards. Researchers in London found that premature infants that were fed enriched formula consistently outperformed other preemies on IQ tests. The other infants were fed either regular formula, “bank” breast milk, or a mix of the breast milk and formula.

Their latest study, published in Pediatric Research, shows the benefits continue into the teenage years.

It also found a particular part of the brain is better developed in those given the enriched milk.

The team from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the UCL Institute of Child Health note that while nutrition has been linked with behaviour, their findings are among the first to show how early feeding may even alter brain structure.

Lead researcher Dr Elizabeth Isaacs said: “It is not clear whether this just relates to preterm infants, who have very specific development issues.

“But obviously a next question would be if there are any wider implications, both for feeding beyond those first few weeks, and for babies who are born at term.”