title: Breastfeeding duration and cognitive, language and motor development at 18 months of age: Rhea mother-child cohort in Crete, Greece.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast feeding duration has been associated with improved cognitive development in children. However, few population-based prospective studies have evaluated dose-response relationships of breastfeeding duration with language and motor development at early ages, and results are discrepant.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study uses data from the prospective mother-child cohort ('Rhea' study) in Crete, Greece. 540 mother-child pairs were included in the present analysis. Information about parental and child characteristics and breastfeeding practices was obtained by interview-administered questionnaires. Trained psychologists assessed cognitive, language and motor development by using the Bayley Scales of Infant Toddler Development (3rd edition) at the age of 18 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Duration of breast feeding was linearly positively associated with all the Bayley scales, except of gross motor. The association persisted after adjustment for potential confounders with an increase of 0.28 points in the scale of cognitive development (β=0.28; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.55), 0.29 points in the scale of receptive communication (β=0.29; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.54), 0.30 points in the scale of expressive communication (β=0.30; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.57) and 0.29 points in the scale of fine motor development (β=0.29; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.56) per accumulated month of breast feeding. Children who were breast fed longer than 6 months had a 4.44-point increase in the scale of fine motor development (β=4.44; 95% CI 0.06 to 8.82) compared with those never breast fed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Longer duration of breast feeding was associated with increased scores in cognitive, language and motor development at 18 months of age, independently from a wide range of parental and infant characteristics. Additional longitudinal studies and trials are needed to confirm these results.
authors: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Vasiliki
authors: V
authors: Leventakou
authors: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Theano
authors: T
authors: Roumeliotaki
authors: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete,Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Katerina
authors: K
authors: Koutra
authors: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Vassilaki
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Evangelia
authors: E
authors: Mantzouranis
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete,Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Panos
authors: P
authors: Bitsios
authors: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain Hospital del Mar Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece.
authors: Manolis
authors: M
authors: Kogevinas
authors: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Leda
authors: L
authors: Chatzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002657:Child Development; D003071:Cognition; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007804:Language Development; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D009048:Motor Skills; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D010331:Paternal Age; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: BREAST FEEDING; CHILD HEALTH; COGNITION; MENTAL HEALTH