Does breastfeeding raise children's IQ?

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1. 1

   Association between breastfeeding and neurodevelopmental outcomes after late preterm birth.

   Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.) (Palatnik et al.)Published Sep 11, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Participants who breastfed were older, of lower body mass index (BMI), and were more likely to be White, have a college degree, be married, have private insurance, and less likely to have used tobacco in pregnancy. Children of participants who breastfed were also older at follow-up. There were no differences in birth weight or gestational age at birth by breastfeeding status. The primary outcome, DAS-II GCA, was higher among children who were breastfed at 3 months, 100.5 ± 13.7 vs. 93.2 ± 13.2, mean difference of 7.27 (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.32, 9.22; adjusted mean difference, 2.54; 95% CI, 0.70, 4.37). In secondary analyses, differences in the overall GCA appeared to be driven by increased scores for spatial ability and nonverbal reasoning. There were no differences in secondary outcomes.ConclusionsAmong children born late preterm at 34-36 weeks, breastfeeding (exclusive or partial) at 3 months of life was associated with improved neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 6 or older. Breastfeeding for ≥3 months was associated with a modest increase in GCA score (2.5 points; 0.17 SD), the clinical significance of which is likely greater at the population than individual level.”

2. 2

   Breastfeeding in Infancy and Adult Health: A Narrative Review.

   Children (Basel, Switzerland) (Panteris et al.)Published Feb 19, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Where reported, effect sizes were generally small (e.g., hazard ratios typically close to 1.00), indicating limited clinical impact at the individual level but potential population relevance. Genetic analyses provide cautious support for a protective association with coronary outcomes, although lipid-mediated pathways appear to explain only a small proportion of the observed associations. Evidence for adult cancer outcomes remains mixed and largely inconclusive, while longer breastfeeding is associated with small ad-vantages in cognitive performance, educational attainment and selected psychological outcomes. Taken together, current evidence suggests that breastfeeding is associated with modestly more favourable adult cardiometabolic and neurobehavioural profiles, but its contribution to long-term health is small relative to the influence of later-life lifestyle and clinical risk factors and should therefore be interpreted cautiously.”

3. 3

   Breastfeeding (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 3, 2026Checked Oct 4, 2026

   “Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the process whereby breast milk is fed to an infant or toddler. Infants may suckle directly from the breast, or milk may be extracted with a breast pump and then fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a newborn's birth and continue as the baby wants. Health organizations including the WHO recommend exclusively breastfeeding for six months; this means that no other foods or drinks—other than vitamin D supplement—are typically given. The WHO recommends then continuing breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years, and beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding rose from 37.0% to 47.4% between 2012 and 2024. Breastfeeding has a number of benefits to both the mother and the infant, that infant formula lacks. Increased breastfeeding to near-universal levels in low and middle income countries could prevent approximately 820,000 deaths of children under the age of five annually.”