Breastfeeding=Smarter article

[asaunders]

Just had to share this article, prominently displayed on reuters.com home page

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...20782120080505

[OTMomma]

Thanks for sharing- but I have to say, it annoys me that they keep insisting that there is some hidden reason bf babies are smarter etc- they are eating what human babies are intended to eat- why shouldn't that promote better brain development?

[Ann-Marita]

Here is a link to the ABC News web site's article along the same lines:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=4790921

The comments are interesting.

[sarah0404]

It's headline news on yahoo.co.uk There is a picture of a baby breastfeeding in a sling

But.... Breastfeeding does NOT make babies smarter!!!!!

Breastfeeding is NORMAL

Breastfed babies will have a normal IQ. Babies who are formula fed will not have the IQ they should have. Why didn't they make that as the headline?

Ann-Marita, you are right the comments on that ABC new story are um.. interesting. Why is it if you say anything good about breastfeeding you are trying to make others feel guilty? Whats with all the "militant breastfeeders" and "nazi" comments. Not on that article in particular, just in general I mean.

[NewMommaJuly06]

Here's the link to the article on msnbc

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24482257/from/ET/

check out the blog section. I cannot believe some of the things conclusions people jump to! I immediately had to come here to feel safe in the world again....

[plantmama]

The article I read in our paper seemed to say exactly this. That breastfed babies reach their full potential while formula feeding decreases the child's chance of reaching his or her full potential IQ. And it also defined the breastfeeding as exclusive breastfeeding. So the longer a child is exculsively breastfed the better.
Where I live I think breastfeeding is the norm, at least among middle class women, but I don't know how many exclusively breastfeed and I think that would be the problem. Hopefully this article encourages more doctors to strongly advocate exclusive breastfeeding....so many women feel they need to supplement.

[Love_My_Bubba]

See and I just forwarded the article to my whole address book and highlighted the part where it says that mothers who breastfeed are smarter :-) I just had to bring some levity to what I knew was going to become a controversy, HAHAHAHAHAHA!

BTW-please excuse me if this post looks stupid, I can't get onto MDC from my work computer and this is my first time posting from my Blackberry. I know, not very crunchy but some of have to work.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by sarah0404

But.... Breastfeeding does NOT make babies smarter!!!!!

Breastfeeding is NORMAL

Breastfed babies will have a normal IQ. Babies who are formula fed will not have the IQ they should have. Why didn't they make that as the headline?

[Heffernhyphen]

Does anybody have an article where it talks about how much better breastfed children continue to do as they continue to breastfeed? What I mean is, the article I just read kept saying baby, baby, baby. If I forward it to my mother (who has been trying to get me to wean DS for three years now), she'll just pick up on that. "It's good for a BABY," I can hear her say. Where's the science backing up breastfeeding my four-year-old?

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by Heffernhyphen

Does anybody have an article where it talks about how much better breastfed children continue to do as they continue to breastfeed? What I mean is, the article I just read kept saying baby, baby, baby. If I forward it to my mother (who has been trying to get me to wean DS for three years now), she'll just pick up on that. "It's good for a BABY," I can hear her say. Where's the science backing up breastfeeding my four-year-old?

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

[blessedwithboys]

the article on AOL news was accompanied by a pic of a mama nursing in an airport! NIP, sweet!

and i really liked the point about not using formula. too amny ppl i know irl say they "bf all their LO's" but in reality they used abm from day one and were totally off the brest by 6 or 8 mos.

[hipmummy]

Take that NPR. Obvoiusly their in house doc had no clue about their study he reported on. He actually said there was no benefot other than ezcema protection and reduction in GI illness. UA violation!!! Can't wait to email them. I think he should go back to school to learn some logic and reading comp.

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by NewMommaJuly06

Here's the link to the article on msnbc

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24482257/from/ET/

check out the blog section. I cannot believe some of the things conclusions people jump to! I immediately had to come here to feel safe in the world again....

No doubt. I won't even read them. I don't need to be any more disgusted with humanity.

[ledzepplon]

Originally Posted by hipmummy

Take that NPR. Obvoiusly their in house doc had no clue about their study he reported on. He actually said there was no benefot other than ezcema protection and reduction in GI illness. UA violation!!! Can't wait to email them. I think he should go back to school to learn some logic and reading comp.

Even if these were the only benefits, as someone who has eczema, let me say that's reason enough! (Although my mom did brestfeed, I just got unlucky . . .)

[hipmummy]

Originally Posted by ledzepplon

Even if these were the only benefits, as someone who has eczema, let me say that's reason enough! (Although my mom did brestfeed, I just got unlucky . . .)

Me too. I was EBF for a year and I have it. Ds is still BMF not ebf but really did not start eating until 13 months he has it bad too.

I just emailed NPR hopefully they will get back to me.

[Heffernhyphen]

It really does just dumbfound me how extended breastfeeding can get so many folks' panties in wads. I sent the Kelly Mom stuff to my mom, who informed me in a serious pointed conversation when DS turned one that it was time to wean and failure to do so was causing him trouble.

You'd think as my mother, just the bit about it reducing my risk of 6 or 7 cancers would get her on board. If you told me feeding my DS worms would reduce his risk of cancer, I'd have dirt under my fingernails every night.

[Teyu]

Originally Posted by sarah0404

But.... Breastfeeding does NOT make babies smarter!!!!!

Breastfeeding is NORMAL

Breastfed babies will have a normal IQ. Babies who are formula fed will not have the IQ they should have. Why didn't they make that as the headline?azi" comments. Not on that article in particular, just in general I mean.

Haha good point. But what would that headline say? "Breastfed Babies Reach Full Potential?"

Anyway your post reminded me of a quote I read in the boob_nazis community on LiveJournal. That quote was: "Breast isn't best. It's standard."