Breastfeeding Protects Against ADHD

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Researchers from Tel Aviv University have shown that “breastfeeding can help protect against Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder in children and adolescents.” This new study compared breastfed and bottle-fed children and found bottle-fed children had a much higher rate of ADHD.

In this study, researchers compared the breast-feeding histories of three different groups of children between the ages of six and twelve.  The three groups were children diagnosed with ADHD, siblings of the children diagnosed with ADHD and children with no “neurobehavioral issues.”  Parents of these children completed detailed questionnaires. The questionnaires included questions on medical history, education and genetics.

The researchers led by Dr. Aviva Mimouni-Bloch analysed the data from the questionnaires. They concluded, “Taking all risk factors into account, children with ADHD were far less likely to be breastfed in their first year of life than the children in the other groups.”

The reason for the protective effect of breast-feeding was not established.  Dr. Mimouni-Bloch plans further research in this area. The study, Breastfeeding May Protect from Developing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine.

ScienceDaily® has further information on this study.

The source of the above quotes is an article about this study from Tel Aviv University.

©Mary M Conneely T/A Advocacy in Action