Longer breastfeeding may reduce ADHD symptoms in children

Longer breastfeeding is associated with lower levels of ADHD symptoms in children, according to new research from the University of Bergen, Norway.

Reported by Scitechdaily on Thursday (27/8), the study involving 37,600 families in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) found that the longer a child was exclusively breastfed up to six months, the lower the level of ADHD symptoms at ages three, five and eight. The association was strongest at ages three and five.

The research stems from the composition of breast milk, which contains long-chain fatty acids, amino acids, antibodies, beneficial bacteria and various substances that play a role in brain growth and immune system development.

“We found that the longer a child was exclusively breastfed (up to six months), the lower the level of ADHD symptoms at ages three, five and eight,” said Berit Skretting Solberg, psychiatrist and researcher at the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Bergen and senior consultant at Betanien Hospital.

Researchers also found that breastfeeding in any form was associated with lower levels of ADHD symptoms. The association grew stronger with increased duration and intensity of breastfeeding, with the clearest link seen in exclusive breastfeeding up to six months.

“This may partly explain the association between low breastfeeding rates and increased ADHD symptoms in children,” Solberg said.

To account for overlapping influences, researchers adjusted the analysis for genetic susceptibility to ADHD and sociodemographic factors. They also compared siblings from the same family with different breastfeeding patterns.

However, the study has not proven a causal relationship. Solberg stressed that observational studies such as this still require further research.

In addition, MoBa participants tend to have higher levels of education and are more likely to breastfeed, including for longer durations, compared with the Norwegian population as a whole. Therefore, the findings may not fully represent the general population.