51¶¯Âþ

BABIES who are breastfed for longer turn into brighter adults. Researchers looked at the IQ scores of more than 3000 Danish men and women, born in 1959 and 1961, from tests they took between their late teens and late 20s. They then compared the scores with how long they had been breastfed as infants. Those who were nursed through their first nine months scored higher later in life than those who were nursed for only a month or two (The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol 287, p 2365). Mother’s milk may contain nutrients that nourish developing brain cells, say the Danish and American researchers, or perhaps mothers who breastfeed longer are more likely to devote more time to their children in coming years.