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Duration of Breast Feeding and Cognitive Function: Population Based Cohort Study

  • Neuroepidemiology
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Abstract

Some evidence suggests that breast feeding is weakly but positively associated with cognitive function. This association has been robust to adjustment for various confounders. The aim of this paper is to determine if duration of breast feeding is associated with cognitive function in late childhood. Data was abstracted from the 1970 British Cohort Study. 11004 liveborn white singletons born during 5–11 April 1970 in the United Kingdom were followed from birth to 10 years. Cognitive function at 10 years is the dependent variable, a latent construct composed of one ability test and three performance measures. Estimates derived from multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling were compared. Effect sizes were estimated using standardized coefficients (SC). Differences in cognitive function according to breast feeding duration were estimated to be small by multiple linear regression (SC = 0.07) and much smaller and non-significant as estimated by structural equation modeling (SC = 0.02) after adjusting for parental socioeconomic status (SES), birth weight, parity, gestational age, maternal age and maternal smoking. Differences in cognitive function according to duration of breast feeding appear to be small and of little clinical importance as estimated by structural equation modeling.

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Abbreviations

CFI:

Comparative Fit Index

IQ:

Intelligence Quotient

RMSEA:

Root Mean Square Error of Approximation

SC:

Standardized Coefficient

SD:

Standard Deviation

SEM:

Structural Equation Modeling

SES:

Socioeconomic Status

TLI:

Tucker–Lewis Index

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the original data creators of the 1970 British Cohort study, the UK Data Archive, University of Essex for providing access to the data (project number 10 498) and the Capes Foundation from the Brazilian Ministry of Education for funding AAM Silva postdoctoral fellowship (grant BEX0379/02–6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Federal University of Maranhao, rua Barao de Itapary 155, Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil

    Antônio A. M. Silva

  2. National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Ziyah Mehta

  3. Department of Paediatric Neurology, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Institute of Child Health, Bristol, UK

    Finbar J. K. O’Callaghan

Authors
  1. Antônio A. M. Silva
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  2. Ziyah Mehta
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  3. Finbar J. K. O’Callaghan
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Correspondence to Antônio A. M. Silva.

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Silva, A.A.M., Mehta, Z. & O’Callaghan, F.J.K. Duration of Breast Feeding and Cognitive Function: Population Based Cohort Study. Eur J Epidemiol 21, 435–441 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-006-9018-9

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