Breastfeeding may boost IQ

Children who were breastfed exclusively for the first three months of life or longer scored nearly six points higher on IQ tests at the age of 6 than children who weren't breastfed exclusively, a new study has found. The finding buttresses previous research that has suggested that children and adults who were breastfed as infants scored better on IQ tests and other measures of cognitive development, such as thinking, learning and memory, the study authors said. "Long and exclusive breastfeeding makes kids smarter," said lead researcher Dr. Michael S. Kramer, of McGill University and the Montreal Children's Hospital. The findings are published in the May issue of theArchives of General Psychiatry.