Kaley Sumrell

Ms. Sanchez
English IV
13 April 2015

Breast Feeding

As technology improves, the debate on the benefits of breast feeding becomes more
prominent. In todays society we are starting to hear more and more on the issue of breast milk
vs. baby formula. The issue plays a controversial role in determining which is more affective.
Breast feeding is positively correlated with child brain development/productivity because it
results in better language skills, increased mental abilities, and provides enhancing nutrients.
Breast feeding is positively correlated with child brain development and productivity
because it results in better language skills. Researchers at Harvard University found that for
each additional month a child was breastfed led to improved verbal skills at the age of three and
intelligence at age seven compared to children who were fed formula milk. Another experiment,
conducted by Brown University, used brain images from quiet MRI machines to illustrate
enhanced brain development. The procedure consisted of three different groups infants who
were exclusively breastfed, infants who were fed formula, and infants who were fed a
combination of both. The researchers from Brown took MRI images of the babies brains while
they were asleep to see the brain development. Brown University found that by the age of two
the infants that were solely fed breast milk(for at least three months) had enhanced development

in key parts of the brain compared to infants who were fed formula exclusively or who were fed
a combination of the two. The enhanced development was abundantly noticeable in the key
parts of the brain correlated with language, emotional function, and cognition. The breast milk
caused the myelinated white matter to grow more rapidly than the formula milk showing that
breast milk is superior and causing improved language skills. Also the test found increased
visual reception, motor control performance, and language performance in the group that was
breast fed. The article, Impact of Breast Milk on IQ, Brain Size and White Matter
Development by Elizabeth Isaacs also states that breast milk has a positive impact on language
skills. Isaacs and her colleagues also used MRI machines as one of their instruments to test their
hypothesis. Elizabeth Isaacs found that MRI scans were obtained, allowing volumes of total
brain, white and grey matter to be calculated. In the total group %EBM correlated significantly
with verbal IQ in boys, with all IQ scores. The boys in her experiment showed a significant
increase in their verbal IQ also proving that breast milk has a positive correlation with language
skills.
Breast feeding is positively correlated with child brain development and productivity
because it increases mental abilities. In the article, Breastfeeding and Brain Development by
Dr. Sears, the author tells readers there is a link between breastfeeding and brain development.
In other words, this article is about how breastfeeding has a positively correlated relationship
with increased mental abilities. Children that are fed breast milk tend to have an average of
seven to ten points higher I.Q. scores that children who are fed formula. Also studies have
shown that babies who are breastfed receive higher grades at school even after taking into
consideration other influence on school performance. Dr sears adds, the longer a baby is

breastfed, the more positive effects it has on cognition, and brain productivity. Dr sears tells
readers that the nutrients in the mothers breast milk is what enhances the brains growth. For
example, one key nutrient is breast milk is DHA, docasahexaenoic acid, DHA is a brain boosting
fat that is essential for growth and maintenance of brain tissue. Autopsys of infants who were
breastfed had higher concentrations of DHA than infants that were formula-fed. Referring back
to Brown Universities experiment, Sean Deoni states that breastfeeding is associated with better
cognitive outcomes in older adolescents and adults. Meaning the evidence found in the images
of their brains were more noticeable and clear. Isaacss also shared how breastfeeding is
positively correlated with mental abilities. In her article, Impact of Breast Milk on IQ, Brain
Size and White Matter Development Isaacs referred to cognition. Because cognitive scores
are related to head size, we hypothesised that breast milk mediates cognitive effects by affecting
brain growth, stated Isaacs.
Breast feeding is proven to be positively correlated with brain development because it
enhances nutrients. Dr. Benjamin Spocks, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care,
touches on how breast milk promotes the babies health. The colostrum in the mothers breast
milk protects the child from contracting disease. Also babies who are nursed tend t have less
bowel upsets. Dr. Spock quotes, A big advantage of breast feeding is that the milk is always
pure; a baby cant catch an intestinal infection from it. In addition to Spock, Dr. Sears, also
describes how breast feeding enhances nutrients and brain development. Sears addresses new
evidence showing that there are nutrients in breast milk that enhance brain growth. Cholesterol
is one of the nutrients in breast milk and cholesterol is a fat needed for optimal brain
development. Breast milk contains a lot of cholesterol, while infant formulas currently contain

none. Low in cholesterol may be good news for adult diets, but not for babiescholesterol
provides basic components for manufacturing nerve tissue in the growing brain, quoted Dr.
Sears. Another key nutrient in breast milk is DHA, docasahexaenoic acid, DHA is a brain
boosting fat that is essential for growth and maintenance of brain tissue. Isaacs also adds, data
supports that breast milk promotes brain development, particularly in white matter growth.
New research shows that breast milk is not as important for either the mother or the
childs health. In the article, Breastfeeding is not as beneficial as once thought Professor Sven
M. Carlsen provides a contracting perspective on the issue. Researchers at the Norwegian
University of Science and Technology have found that the association between breastfeeding
and healthy children is not as strong as has previously been believed. He believes that its not
the milk that determines the babies health because the babies overall health is determined before
he is born. Carlsen expresses that its the placenta, not the breast milk, that has more of an
positive influence on childrens health. What happens is that there are hormones that come from
the fetus that are converted to testosterone and estrogen in the placenta -- if the process goes as it
should. This is an energy intensive process. If the placenta does not have enough energy, a
portion of the testosterone that would have been converted to estrogen is in fact not converted.
Then what happens is that the testosterone goes to both the mother and child, and probably
affects both of them", he said. "It appears that children who are breastfed have a small IQ
advantage", Carlsen says. "But this needs to be confirmed in new, carefully planned and
conducted studies." Carlsen believe baby formula is as good as breast milk. He goes into
detail about how hard it is for some women to breast feed. For example, He quotes, Pregnant
women who have higher levels of androgens breastfeed less. Probably, this is a direct effect of

hormones that simply limit nursing ability, by reducing milk production in the breast. For
example, there is a clear link between testosterone and breastfeeding ability. In fact, until 1980,
when more suitable drugs were introduced, testosterone was used to stop milk production in
circumstances where it was desirable. He goes on to say, "this was one of the reasons that we
wanted to investigate whether the effects attributed to mother's milk really should be attributed
to hormonal factors in pregnant women." Individuals who do not believe in the benefits of
breastfeeding are close minded and not correct. My reasoning for this, is because there are
many, different broad studies that prove breastfeeding is beneficial in numerous ways.
Breast feeding is very important for childrens health and is a privilege that parents
should take advantage of because of the many benefits it offers. Breast feeding has been
confirmed to benefit brain maturation and efficiency especially in the areas of verbal skills,
cognitive skills, and enhanced nutrients. Breast feeding has been confirmed to improve verbal
skills in many studies, including the Brown University experiment and the study Elizabeth
Isaacs conducted with her colleagues. Breast feeding has also been confirmed to improve
cognitive skills, like in the study where breast milk increased brain size and white matter
development resulting in higher IQ scores and higher grades on cognitive tests. Lastly,
breastfeeding has been confirmed to enhance nutrients as Dr. Spock informed individuals in,
The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, sharing with mothers various ways
breastfeeding helps infants fight disease and infection. After telling individuals about this topic I
hope others will be more interested in the objective and share it with others. I wish to see more
research and more benefits of breast feeding in the future.