14 DAY TRIAL // Babies who are breastfed for more than 6 months after birth are considerably less likely than their fed-on-formula peers to develop mental health problems, according to a recent study carried out by experts at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. Due to bioactive factors and compounds in breast milk, the brain of new-born babies develops earlier and faster in the first year of life as compared to the brain of their counterparts who receive formula instead of being breastfed.
The team of researchers investigated data on more than 2,500 West Australian children throughout the past 16 years. The growth and development of children included in the study have been closely analyzed and overall results showed that subjects who received breast milk for more than 6 months after birth had better mental health than subjects who had been fed on formula.
Infants who were switched on formula within less than 6 months after being born were found to be 52% more likely to develop mental health disorders when 2 years of age, 55%, 61% and 37% more likely to develop the same problems when 6, 8 and 10 years of age, respectively.
Moreover, researcher Dr. Wendy Oddy - who was involved in the current study - stated that breastfed children presented lower risks of developing emotional and behavioral disorders, such as depression, anxiety or delinquency, an aggressive and anti-social behavior.
Dr. Wendy Oddy pointed out: "Even when we adjust the results to take into account other factors such as the parents' socio-economic situation, their education, their happiness and family functioning, we see that children that were breastfed for at least six months are at lower risk of mental health problems." The researcher also added: "These results are powerful evidence for more support to be given to mothers to help them breastfeed for longer."