Breastfeeding may lower autism risk by 28%

A new study suggests that breastfeeding may significantly lower the risk of children developing autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Researchers from Israel analyzed data from over 570,000 infants to draw these conclusions. The study found that babies who were exclusively breastfed for at least six months had a 28 percent lower chance of being diagnosed with neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and ADHD. Additionally, these breastfed infants were 18 percent less likely to experience delays in language and social development. For those who were partially breastfed, the risk of milestone delays was 14 percent lower. The benefits of breastfeeding were even apparent among siblings, showing that those breastfed longer also had a reduced risk of developmental issues. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months and then supplementing it up to two years with healthy foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports this, emphasizing the public health benefits of breastfeeding. While this study emphasizes the positive correlation between breastfeeding and lower risks of neurodevelopmental conditions, the researchers caution that it does not definitively prove that breastfeeding will prevent these conditions. The research examined the medical records of children born in Israel from January 2014 to December 2020. While improvements in developmental milestones were noted, the study did not specify which neurodevelopmental conditions were most common among the infants analyzed. The findings appear timely, as the diagnosis of autism has been rising sharply in recent years. Experts note that the reasons for this increase are not fully understood yet, and many factors may contribute to the condition.