Breast-feeding not only has nutritional benefits for a newborn, but can also have social benefits in the future, according to a new study.
"Breast-feeding has lifelong benefits," study author Amanda Sacker, a researcher at the University College London, told HealthDay. "Breast-feeding not only gives children a good start in life, but also boosts chances of a healthy and successful adulthood. For most women, breast-feeding offers them a simple way to improve their child's life chances."
A study published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood on Monday suggested that children who were breast-fed are more likely to move up in social class. Researchers studied 17,419 children born in 1958 and 16,771 kids born in 1970.
"When the children reached 5 or 7 years old, researchers asked their mothers whether they had been breast-fed," CBS News reported. "They compared the children who were breast-fed for less than four weeks with those who had received their mother's milk for four weeks and more."
The research team followed up with the participants when they were 10 or 11 years old. Scientists measured their social class, according to the child's father's class, using a four-point scale assigning ratings to unskilled/semi-skilled manual to professional/managerial. The participants were administered tests to assess outside factors, including brain development, according to CBS News.
When participants were age 33 or 34, the researchers followed up to assess their social class. Research found that breast-feeding increased the odds of being in a higher social class by 24 percent. Intellect and low stress levels increased in the participant due to breast-feeding, according to researchers.
However, researchers noted that they ware unsure if the breast milk or the bonding with their mother is the key factor.
According to reports, the World Health Organization recommends that babies be breast-fed for the first six months of life. Until the child is 2-years-old, a baby's diet should consist of solids and the mothers milk.
If 90 percent of mothers followed the recommended 6-month period, CBS News reported "almost 1,000 infant deaths would be prevented and $13 billion in annual medical costs would be saved."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that only 45 percent of mothers in the United States are breast-feeding at six months. The CDC also said parents were giving their babies solids as early as four months.
