We reported in the past that researchers didn’t know whether or not breastfeeding makes children smarter. But it turns out that it can, IF they have the right gene?a gene that most of us have.
BBC news reports that researchers have discovered that “a single gene influences whether breastfeeding improves a child’s intelligence. Children with one version of the FADS2 gene scored seven points higher in IQ tests if they were breastfed.” But breastfeeding had no effect on the IQ of children with a different version of that gene, which helps to break down fatty acids, which have been linked to brain development.
In the first half of the twentieth century, big business convinced US women not to breast feed so they could sell them baby formula. But in the ensuing decades, after physicians realized the incredible health benefits of breast feeding for both babies and their mothers, breast feeding came back into fashion again and all mothers are urged to do it today. Does this mean that we will be a nation of smarter people in the future?
Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
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