Every so often a new study appears that claims that breastfed children are smarter, healthier, or otherwise better off later in life than those who were fed baby formula.
In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look into one recent such study, and ask what the research in general tells us about the apparently-dramatic effects of breastfeeding. Should you feel terribly guilty if you can’t, or choose not to, breastfeed your baby? Or is this an example of weak evidence being blown out of proportion?
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Show notes
The new study claiming breastfed children get better GCSE results
Stuart’s Twitter thread critiquing the study
The WHO page stating that breastfed children “perform better on intelligence tests”
Brazilian study of breastfeeding and intelligence (and other outcomes)
Initial report of the Belorussian breastfeeding-promotion randomised controlled trial
Age-16 follow-up of the RCT
Sibling-control study of breastfeeding and intelligence
Stuart’s Substack post on breastfeeding and intelligence
Credits
The Studies Show is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada Productions.
Episode 2: Breastfeeding - what the science actually says