title: Does breastfeeding contribute to the racial gap in reading and math test scores?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the impact of divergent breastfeeding practices between Caucasian and African American mothers on the lingering achievement test gap between Caucasian and African American children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, beginning in 1997, followed a cohort of 3563 children aged 0-12 years. Reading and math test scores from 2002 for 1928 children were linked with breastfeeding history. Regression analysis was used to examine associations between ever having been breastfed and duration of breastfeeding and test scores, controlling for characteristics of child, mother, and household.
  
  
  RESULTS
  African American students scored significantly lower than Caucasian children by 10.6 and 10.9 points on reading and math tests, respectively. After accounting for the impact of having been breastfed during infancy, the racial test gap decreased by 17% for reading scores and 9% for math scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings indicate that breastfeeding explains 17% and 9% of the observed gaps in reading and math scores, respectively, between African Americans and Caucasians, an effect larger than most recent educational policy interventions. Renewed efforts around policies and clinical practices that promote and remove barriers for African American mothers to breastfeed should be implemented.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO. Electronic address: kpeter26@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Kristen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Vaughn
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Witko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D003071:Cognition; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009035:Mothers; D011932:Reading; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Academic achievement; Breastfeeding; Child development