Washington Post: Breast-Fed Baby May Mean Better Behaved Child

Breast-Fed Baby May Mean Better Behaved Child

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
Wednesday, October 29, 2008; 12:00 AM
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Add yet another potential benefit to breast-feeding: Fewer behavioral problems in young children.

Parents of youngsters who were breast-fed as infants were less likely to report that their child had a behavior problem or psychiatric illness during the first five years of life, a new study found.

And the likelihood of mental health issues decreased in proportion to the duration of breast-feeding, meaning that a child who had been breast-fed for a year was less likely to have behavior problems than a child who had been breast-fed for just two months.

"This is an early finding, but it suggests that breast-feeding during infancy could have an effect on behavior during childhood," said the study's lead author, Dr. Katherine Hobbs Knutson, a resident in the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

She was to present the findings Wednesday at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting, in San Diego.

Previous research has shown that breast milk offers numerous benefits for babies and that breast-feeding can benefit both mother and infant. Babies who are breast-fed are less likely to suffer from ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, wheezing, and bacterial and viral illnesses, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Research has also linked breast-feeding with a reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and certain cancers, according to the AAP.

For mothers, breast-feeding helps the uterus quickly return to its pre-pregnancy shape and helps burn additional calories, which can help get rid of extra pregnancy weight, the AAP reports. Additionally, breast-feeding is believed to help nurture the mother-child bond.

The new study reviewed more than 100,000 interviews of parents and guardians of children between the ages of 10 months and 18 years who participated in the National Survey of Children's Health. Parents were asked about breast-feeding and about their child's behavior and mental health.

Examples of questions included: Are you currently concerned a lot, a little or not at all about how your child behaves? How he/she is learning pre-school or school skills? Has a doctor or health professional ever told you that your child has behavioral or conduct problems?

Parents of children who were breast-fed were 15 percent less likely to be concerned about their child's behavior, compared to formula-fed infants. And the breast-fed children were 37 percent less likely to have a medically diagnosed behavioral or conduct problem, according to the study.

And, Knutson said, the effect of breast-feeding appeared to be cumulative, with those who were breast-fed for a longer duration even less likely to have behavior problems.

She also said the study found "a correlation between breast-feeding and cognitive development."

"These findings are certainly intriguing," said Dr. Debra Bogen, a pediatrician in the division of general academic pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

The study adds to the "overwhelming evidence that women should, if they can, offer breast milk to their babies," she added.

Both Bogen and Knutson said the nutritional composition of breast milk might have an effect on the way a baby's brain develops, and that better nutrition could explain the behavioral differences. But both experts felt it was too soon to know for sure the exact cause of the potentially protective effect.

SOURCES: Katherine Hobbs Knutson, M.D., resident, department of psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Debra Bogen, M.D., pediatrician, division of general academic pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; Oct. 29, 2008, presentation, American Public Health Association annual meeting, San Diego

La Leche League International co-Founder Passes Away

La Leche League International Co-Founder Betty Wagner Spandikow Passes Away

Betty Wagner Spandikow, co-founder of La Leche League International,
and resident of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA, died Sunday October 26th
at the age of 85.

Betty was known internationally as one of the founders of the La
Leche League International (LLLI) and also a co-author of the popular
book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" which has sold over 2 million
copies and has been translated into eight languages and Braille. In
1956, Betty Wagner and six other women met in Franklin Park, Illinois
to share information on how to successfully breastfeed their
babies. From these roots, La Leche League developed into an
international organization with breastfeeding support groups in every
state and 68 different countries.

Betty not only attended the first LLLI meeting, but she also became
the group's first treasurer and business manager, positions she held
until 1975. She was also a member of the LLI Board of Directors and
was their Chief Executive Officer for 19 years from 1972 until 1991
when she retired. As CEO, Betty initiated flex hours and a
family-friendly workplace in the '60s, long before they became the
popular perks they are today. Business hours at the La Leche League
International office were set to allow parents to be home with their
children after school. Betty's ideas about work teams and home
offices were also far ahead of their time. It was these types of
innovations that played a role in enabling the organization, made up
mainly of mothers, to grow and be effective in a highly structured
business world. After she retired as CEO, she remained a member of
the LLLI Founders Advisory Council until her death.

Betty was a sought-after speaker who discussed breastfeeding and
parenting at conferences throughout the U.S. and in countries such as
Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, New
Zealand, Canada and El Salvador. She also spoke at the United Nations.

Betty had seven children. She is survived by children - Robert
Wagner (Pam) Marco Island FL; Peggy Dowd Henderson (Ric) Marietta GA;
Dorothy Rasmussen, Portage, MI and Helen Huntley (Brian Bleess)
Wheaton, IL. Betty is also survived by 26 grandchildren and 22
great-grandchildren. Her second husband, Paul Spandikow resides in Paris, TN.

She is preceded in death by her first husband, Robert Wagner, and
children Gail Gratzianna, Wayne Wagner, Mary Wright and grandson
Andrew Wright.

Details for a "celebration of life" are pending and more information
will be available at www.llli.org. In support
of the organization that Betty helped found, the family requests
donations be made, in lieu of flowers, to La Leche League
International, 957 N. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg, IL, USA 60173 or
online at www.llli.org