The results are from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, which follows the lives of more than 14,000 mothers who gave birth in 1991 and 1992, and their children.
Ms Iacovou said the data show an effect at aged five, seven, 11 and 14.
"We wouldn't have been surprised if the effect faded with time, but it didn't," she said.
She added that other studies showed there was an effect in the pre-school years. They excluded such information from this study, as in the Avon study pre-school ability was assessed by the mothers, who she thought were "probably a little biased".
She said there were two schools of thought on how breastfeeding had an effect: that long-chain fatty acids in breast milk helped the brain develop; and that the act of breastfeeding improved the mother-child bond.
Numerous studies have shown that breastfeeding improves a young child's health. For example, breastfed infants tend to get fewer infections. However, relatively few have looked at its impact on intelligence.
Ms Iacovou said: "This is more evidence that breastfeeding is good for your baby."
However, while she said that increasing numbers of studies were pointing to the conclusion that it aided intelligence, the theory remains controversial. In 2006 a study published in the British Medical Journal showed it had no effect.
Britain has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. At a week old, only a third (35 per cent) are exclusively breast fed, while the proportion drops to a fifth at six weeks and just seven per cent at four months.
The Department of Health recommends that babies are exclusively breastfed until six months, although many paediatricians say babies should be weaned earlier if they show an interest in solids.
women health first women medical health women to women health women health in urdu indian women health
No comments:
Post a Comment