I believe that most intelligence is linked to genetics because there is still intelligence amongst many who have not been breastfeed. However, I'm very aware of the benefits of breastfeeding. I think the study makes a lot of sense in terms of logic, when you give the body things in their most natural form everything performs the way evolution intended. Since breast milk by nature was designed as the most ideal nourishment for infants, they acquire a slight added advantage.

Same concept as eating habits in adults, when you eat a diet consisting of clean, natural sources of nourishment without additives, preservatives, etc, the body benefits and performs significantly better.

how would one explain complete idiots growing up in families of outstanding intellectuals, other than as a genetic error?

Formula is so closely similar to breast milk, I doubt it makes a difference in terms of intelligence.

I think the most beneficial thing about breast feeding is that it requires a baby to be held and close to the food source. A bottle can be propped up and the child left alone in the crib.

As for the nutritional content of breast milk, In my opinion that would only be as good as the body it is coming out of.. A super healthy woman might have breast milk that is superior to formula, but if she is a malnourished person who puts bad things into her body, I feel formula would be a better choice.

Just my 2 cents!

Intelligent answers, people!

Logic AND positive emotion: THAT'S the advantage of breast-feeding! I agree with Sue, the nutritional benefits of the milk versus formula might be negligible, but the mother holding the baby close during feeding, looking directly and lovingly into the baby's eyes, forms a strong, loving bond, that encourages the baby to develop into a well-adjusted human being, who is not afraid to pursue their intelligence and not afraid to love.

If I remember right, it only raises your IQ by about 5-10 points, which is barely significant. Average IQ is between 85-115 (100 the nominal), above 140 genius or near genius (depending on who you talk to lol) Einsteins IQ was estimated to be about 160

Which basically means, if you were an average IQ of 100 (based purely on genetics alone, no other environmental factors-like diet/ disease/ etc..), if you were to breast fed your baby, best case, that might raise their IQ to 110 (probably closer to 105). Which would STILL be the average IQ range!!

Having said that, some might consider me somewhat a militant breastfeeder, because I breast fed all three of my kids a year or longer (my third child much longer than that, and my first two self-weaned while I was pregnant with the next child).

My mom also breastfed me and 4 or my other siblings (back when breastfeeding was considered low class, uncoo-1950-1970l).

My oldest sibling (sister), my mom never breast fed her, and regretted it (not because of the IQ thing, or health benefits, they didnt know about such things back in the 1950s), but mostly because she felt she missed out on the bonding thing, that she observed with other family (aunts and such, nursing their babies). My oldest sibling, has also had the worst weight issues of all of kids (overfeeding)

My dad didn't exactly discouraged mom from breast feeding (and he's a pretty highly educated guy). But back then, again, I cannot emphasize enough, it was considered low class, not a scientifically formulated food like formula (and considered a big hassel-public breatfeeding-gross). But my dad never told he couldn't breastfed.

oh and the main reasons I breast fed. because to me it was natural, and the bonding experience... IQ, waaay low on my list....

Thanks for your post MTZ, very informative! I never knew breastfeeding was taboo during that time period, so that's very interesting! One thing I do know about pregnancy during that time period was a lot of women were completely drugged during labor. When my mother was born in 1960, my grandmother was drugged to the point she struggled her whole life to remember my mom's birthday, she had no memory of the birth taking place.

The notion of public breast feeding being "gross" that unfortunately still happens to this day.

mellowamamethyst...those was called twilighlight sleep/ births...

and yup, breastfeeding is still pretty taboo (more taboo than my grandparents day), but not as taboo as it back in my parents day...

A friend recently had a baby, and she just can't produce any milk so she has to use formula, but the holding the baby, lookinf into her eyes and all that is still there, she won't let her baby alone in the crib with the bottle, so I don't know.

MTZ3 makes a very interesting point, and I thought at this point the IQ wasn't very relevant anymore in terms of intelligence... or something like that.

It'd be interesting to take an IQ test! I was NOT breast-fed (bottled cow's milk was the prevailing wisdom of 1965 when I was born). I like to think I'm reasonably intelligent, not as intelligent as some but more intelligent than some too.

Formula baby here and I done been a card carrying member of Mensa since I was 11.

Two of my own formula fed, the boy is finishing up his engineering degree and the girl made deans list,

Course we tend to skew most statistics.....

Why is there an assumption that mothers who formula feed do not bond with their babies? Sounds pretty insulting.

There was no mention in this post about formula feed and intelligence, it was a study about breast-feeding and it's link to intelligence.

I also asked a question, and it was overlooked, I wonder whether that was because it was one that was impossible to answer.

"I wonder therefore, is intelligence not inherited after all?"

Was that the question? I'll say that sometimes intelligence is inherited, sometimes it is not. When intelligence is inherited, I think it has to do with nurturing, encouraging, to read and study, more than blood genetics or nutrients found in breast milk. Babies who are loved are much more encouraged to pursue whatever brilliance they may inherently have. Babies who are not loved quit pursuing whatever brilliance they may inherently have and have a tendency to die, physically and spiritually.