Breastfeeding could protect child from ADHD symptoms, study suggests Jun 29 Breastfeeding up to six months of age could be associated with a reduced risk of ADHD symptoms from ages three to eight, a new study conducted in 37,600 families in Norway suggests. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by inattention and restless behaviour. Symptoms are usually diagnosed during childhood, but can persist into adulthood in some cases. A primary source of nutrition for infants, breast milk has been studied to contain components good for growth and brain development including long-chain fatty acids, amino acids, antibodies, and beneficial bacteria.

Researchers, including those from Norway's University of Bergen, said there is considerable scientific interest in understanding how breast milk and breastfeeding affect brain development and the infant immune system.

The study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, examined the relationship between the number of months an infant is exclusively breastfed and the child's risk of developing ADHD symptoms.

"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 years," author Dr Berit Skretting Solberg, psychiatrist and researcher at the department of biomedicine, University of Bergen, said.

Data of families participating in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study was analysed. Through questionnaires, the researchers calculated the number of months each child was exclusively breastfed.

"Full breastfeeding per month was significantly associated with lower ADHD symptoms at all ages, indicating that each month of full breastfeeding associated with lower ADHD symptoms," the authors wrote.

The association was observed in both boys and girls and was strongest at ages three and five, and somewhat weaker at age eight, they said.

The team added that protective effects of breastfeeding increased with the duration and intensity, and was the strongest with exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age.

Genetic factors are said to partly explain ADHD.

For example, the researchers said, it is known that mothers with ADHD symptoms tend to breastfeed less than others and may be more likely to have children with ADHD symptoms. Further, children with ADHD symptoms may be more difficult to breastfeed.

"This may partly explain the relationship between lower breastfeeding and increased ADHD symptoms in children," Solberg said.

To better understand possible causal relationships, the study adjusted for known genetic risk of ADHD and sociodemographic factors. Sibling analyses were also conducted, comparing different breastfeeding patterns within the same family.

"Even after these adjustments, there was a clear but moderate protective effect of the duration of exclusive breastfeeding on later ADHD symptoms," Solberg said.

She added that being an observational study, firm conclusions about causality could not be drawn and emphasised the need for further research.

The authors said, "Our findings suggest that full breastfeeding could partially protect against childhood ADHD symptoms. Further studies are needed to understand the potential mechanisms of the association between breastfeeding and lower ADHD symptoms."

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