Breastfeeding can boost an infant's IQ, say Yale researchers, but only if the child has a genetic variant that enhances their metabolism of breast milk. The new study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, looked at how long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAS), which are present in human milk but not in cow's milk or most infant formulas, are metabolized. LC-PUFAS in breast milk are believed to enhance cognitive development because the fatty acids are required for neuronal growth and regeneration.
But the new findings hinge on the child carrying a certain genetic variant. "It is this genetic variant in FADS2, a gene involved in the control of fatty acid pathways, that may help the children make better use of the breast milk and promote the brain development that is associated with a higher IQ score," said Yale's Julia Kim-Cohen. "Children who do not carry the 'helpful' genetic variant have normal average IQ scores. Being breastfed for them is not associated with an IQ advantage."
"The finding has many implications," the study noted. "To date, research on gene-environment interactions has been dominated by the search for genetic variants that increase disease susceptibility to environmental pathogens. However, here we have shown that a genetic variant may also enhance a favorable response to a health promoting exposure present throughout human ancestry."
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