EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING ON EARLY COGNITIVE AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD

Introduction

            For a long time now there has been many both recorded and unrecorded theories explaining the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding of babies on early cognitive and motor development stages of life (Binns, Fraser, Lee & Scott, 2009). This has gone a long way to explaining how breastfeeding helps in the brain development of a child in preparation for the life challenges later in life (Cai et al., 2014). The hypothesis provided proofs that the longer a child is breastfed, is a predictor to their cognitive development and later in stages of life. Children breastfed for 6 months had higher intelligent quotients (IQs) than those breastfed for lesser number of months (Bernard et al., 2013; Gomez-Sanchiz, 2004). These stats supports the recommendations by World Health Organization that newborns should be breastfed exclusively for up to six months. This seeks to answer the question: what is the effects of exclusive breastfeeding on early cognitive and motor development among children?

            The population being so vulnerable, which in this case are the infants, there ought to be measures taken which involves the parents, government and other stakeholders to develop means of achieving the desired results of seeing the recommendations by WHO are fully implemented. It is well stated that cognitive development is the most important stage for an individual to learn and benefit from the opportunities in life. Persons who are intelligent in childhood stages tend to achieve a lot in their later stages in life in education, careers, social and economic side of life.

Effects of failure to exclusive breastfeed

            The subject of nutrition in mental and physical development of infants has been a public issues of late where people seek to know whether there are benefits at all associated with exclusive breastfeeding in the early stages of life (Leventakou et al., 2013).  The Australian journal of public health after carrying out research had come to the following conclusion: children who suffer severe malnutrition in their early stages of life, suffer reduction of brain mass and which leads to permanent brain retardation (Binns, Fraser, Lee & Scott, 2009). How does this come as a result of non-exclusive breastfeeding? The sturdy revealed that the components contained in breast milk such as LC- PUFA is responsible faster gradual and faster growth of the brain more so when the child is at 6 months which is the stage when transition begins hence ushering in functions (Leventakou et al., 2013). At this stage the child becomes social to the surroundings and quite predictive. When breast milk is not available at this stage, the function ability of brain is derailed hence denying the kid the social aspect which is carried in later stages of life.

The general movement of a child

            The movement of a child is directly affected by the neurological condition. A child that is breastfed for 6 months exhibits normal movement as compared to a child having had the same for 3 months (Dewey, Cohen, Brown & Rivera, 2001). Due to slower brain development, the later has slower response to movements (Bouwstra et all, 2003). Generally, children who undertake exclusive breastfeed have far better cognitive growth and motor development than the formula-fed kids (Bouwstra et all, 2003). On top of this, cognitive function develops with the time of breastfeeding (Wigg et al., 1998). These include: raising their body parts as well as trying to turn (Dewey, Cohen, Brown & Rivera, 2001).

            On the financial point of view, many lactating mother in the current world economic state where many women are working, they tend to resume their jobs early in some countries within three months after the birth (UNICEF, 2013). This forces them seek other methods to supplement the breast milk through formula supplemented with LC-PUFA which is not affordable by poor mothers (Leventakou et al., 2013).

Conclusion

            All the studies reveal that exclusive breastfed children have better cognitive development and motor growth as compared to children with fewer months of breastfed and also those who undergo formula supplemented milk. This attests to the fact that exclusively breastfed kids have streamlined movements than the once under formula-feeding at any given time.

References

Dewey, K. G., Cohen, R. J., Brown, K. H., & Rivera, L. L. (2001). Effects of exclusive breastfeeding for four versus six months on maternal nutritional status and infant motor development: results of two randomized trials in Honduras. The Journal of Nutrition, 131(2), 262-267.

Bouwstra, H., Boersma, E. R., Boehm, G., Dijck-Brouwer, D. A. J., Muskiet, F. A. J., & Hadders-Algra, M. (2003). Exclusive breastfeeding of healthy term infants for at least 6 weeks improves neurological condition. The Journal of nutrition, 133(12), 4243-4245.

UNICEF. (2013). Breastfeeding on the Worldwide Agenda. New York: New York United Nations Children’s Fund.

Bernard, J., De Agostini, M., Forhan, A., Alfaiate, T., Bonet, M., & Champion, V. et al. (2013). Breastfeeding Duration and Cognitive Development at 2 and 3 Years of Age in the EDEN Mother–Child Cohort. The Journal Of Pediatrics, 163(1), 36-42.e1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.11.090

Binns, C., Fraser, M., Lee, A., & Scott, J. (2009). Defining exclusive breastfeeding in Australia. Journal Of Paediatrics And Child Health, 45(4), 174-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1754.2009.01478.x

Cai, S., Pang, W., Low, Y., Sim, L., Sam, S., & Bruntraeger, M. et al. (2014). Infant feeding effects on early neurocognitive development in Asian children. American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 101(2), 326-336. http://dx.doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.095414

Gomez-Sanchiz, M. (2004). Influence of Breast-feeding and Parental Intelligence on Cognitive Development in the 24-Month-Old Child. Clinical Pediatrics, 43(8), 753-761. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/000992280404300811

Leventakou, V., Roumeliotaki, T., Koutra, K., Vassilaki, M., Mantzouranis, E., & Bitsios, P. et al. (2013). Breastfeeding duration and cognitive, language and motor development at 18 months of age: Rhea mother–child cohort in Crete, Greece. J Epidemiol Community Health, 69(3), 232-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2013-202500

Wigg, N., Tong, S., McMichael, A., Baghurst, P., Vimpani, G., & Roberts, R. (1998). Does breastfeeding at six months predict cognitive development?. Aust N Z J Public Health, 22(2), 232-236. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-842x.1998.tb01179.x