A study using brain images from “quiet” MRI machines adds to
the growing body of evidence that breastfeeding improves brain development in
infants. Breastfeeding alone produced better brain development than a
combination of breastfeeding and formula, which produced better development
than formula alone.
A new study by researchers from Brown University finds more
evidence that breastfeeding is good for babies’ brains.
The study made use of specialized, baby-friendly magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) to look at the brain growth in a sample of children
under the age of 4. The research found that by age 2, babies who had been
breastfed exclusively for at least three months had enhanced development in key
parts of the brain compared to children who were fed formula exclusively or who
were fed a combination of formula and breastmilk. The extra growth was most
pronounced in parts of the brain associated with language, emotional function,
and cognition, the research showed.