Psychological and Emotional Impact of Breastfeeding to a Child

There is no doubt in the world that a parent wants to do anything and everything humanly possible to assist their new born baby's brain development. Years ago, it didn't matter where you went, there would not be so many books on shelves and articles in newspapers talking to parents and giving them advice on how parents can help stimulate their child's brain, giving the new born the intelligence "kick start" and develop the baby's brain. Recently, studies have shed some light on the benefits breast milk or breastfeeding have on babies, on their intelligence and on their brain development.

Now, ask yourself: what exactly is the connection between intelligence and breastfeeding? The answer is this: it comes down to a few significant things, and some of these things are measurable and tangible and others are not. Let's look at the importance of essential nutrients and fats. As parents we all know that breast milk contains its fair share of fats, nutrients and amino acids. This is important in the baby's nervous system development and also the baby's brain development. These ingredients establish the basis of "hard-wiring" a baby's intelligence.

Let's look at an important amino acid found in breast milk. This acid is called Taurine. Taurine is almost non-existent in cow's milk, and this acid plays a very important role in developing the baby's brain tissue, among many other things. It is important that if a baby is on breast milk that you make sure you keep him or her on it for as long as you can, because your baby cannot form this amino acid on her or his own. Your baby's body relies on the food to supply this.

Other important ingredients in a mother's breast milk are fats. The fats found in breast milk contain large amounts of fats that are important to the baby. ARA and DHA are just a couple. These fats play significant roles in structuring the brain. Research has proved that babies on breast milk consume more of these important fats than babies that are on formula milks. However, there are many formula milk manufacturers that are now adding the Taurine amino acid and DHA fat to the artificial milk. You have to keep in mind that although with these two essential ingredients, they are not identical to those found in breast milk.

Researchers conclude that there is an important reason why babies should be on breast milk. Only breast milk can cause these effects, and it is obvious that no matter what scientists do to formula milk, these effects cannot be duplicated. Cholesterol is another ingredient found in breast milk. Cholesterol helps the body build tissue in the nervous system and tissue in the brain. It is very important that babies get cholesterol in the first two years. Studies have shown that children that have been breastfed do better at various tasks and intellectual tests compared to children that have been fed formula milks.

Breastfeeding in no way guarantees that your child will turn out to be very smart, but a way to make sure that your child has the genetic potential, not only for IQ and smarts, but also emotional intelligence.