The impact of breast feeding on the growth of a child cannot be overstated. Breastfeeding is responsible for intimacy and bonding between mother and child. This intimacy and bond created during breastfeeding, can provide long lasting physical and psychological benefits. Research has shown that there is a connection between the breastfeeding experience of a child and the cognitive development later in life.
An assessment carried out by Bernard et al (2013), on the cognitive and motor development in 2 and 3 year old children showed that improved problem solving abilities in children were associated with prolonged duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Another study showed that there was a reduced risk of cognitive impairment among children when breastfed immediately after birth (Diepeveen et al., 2017).
According to WebMD, breastfeeding has a deep and lasting effect on the behaviour, mental health, thought and understanding in children. For instance, babies who are breastfed are likely to have stronger critical thinking and reasoning skills, better memory, early language ability, and enhanced motor skills.
Breastfeeding is encouraged to be practiced by every mother as its benefits extend to almost every area of a child’s growth, that is, physical, emotional, social and psychological growth.
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