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Feeding Frenzy
By: Laura Weidenfeld, M.D.

Taking the latest breast milk study in stride.

You can hardly pick up a magazine today without reading an article telling you how to make your child smarter. First we had to listen to hours of Mozart to have our kids be proficient in math. Now a new study has proposed that two fatty acids in breast milk seem to raise IQ.

While this new study is exciting, it may turn out, as with the “Mozart effect”, that not all the findings hold true – or that their significance has been painted with too broad a brush. I would caution mothers out there not to berate themselves for avoiding some of the “hot new study” recommendations. Breastfeeding is certainly the recommended method of infant feeding, but if it is not possible, I would hate for mothers to feel like they were doing a disservice to their child. Not too long ago, breastfeeding was not in “vogue” and almost an entire generation were formula fed. In my experience, there are no known detrimental effects from this trend.

The new study was conducted by researchers at the Dallas-based Retina Foundation of the Southwest. Fifty-six newborns were split into three different groups for a period of four months. The control group received commercial infant formula. One test group was given formula supplemented with DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and the third group was given formula with both DHA and AA (arachidonic acid). After the initial four-month period, all infants were given commercial formula.

These children were then IQ tested at 18 months, using a standard test called the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. The infants given the doubly-supplemented formula scored 105.6 (with 100 being average). This was almost identical to breast-fed babies, as shown in a different study. The control group, whose members ate only commercial formula, scored an average of 98. Those given only DHA supplementation scored 102. While all of these IQ’s are in the range of normal, 105.6 is statistically significant increase over 98.

If this information holds true, we may be able to improve on current commercial formulas. More than 60 countries already have improved supplementing formula with DHA and AA; the FDA has this issue under review. It should be noted, however, that prior studies failed to show a similar trend. In fact, the authors of this new study agree that while there have been many studies that deal with the advantages of breastfeeding over formula with regards to later mental aptitude, it is quite difficult to discern whether these are due to inherent properties of the breast milk or to maternal variables. (For example, socioeconomic class, IQ, education level and maternal-infant bonding.)

While the new study does seem to do a fairly good job of balancing the test groups with regards to the aforementioned variables, there are some other potential problems with the findings. The test population of 56 infants is rather small and similar results may not be seen with a much larger test population. Second is the questionable significance of IQ testing on children at 18 months of age. Will the same trend hold when these kids are 3, 8 and 15 years old?

Only time will tell. There are plans to follow these children through later states of development. Also, while a difference in IQ of 7.6 points may be statistically significant numerically, what if anything does it mean practically? This answer is not clear. Certainly the results of this study are interesting, and if further testing supports these findings, serious consideration should be given to formula supplementation. Obviously, testing will need to be done to assess the safety of adding these fatty acids to formula, as well as deciding on the appropriate dose to add.

For now, we will have to make due with the formulas we have. Certainly nothing can duplicate breast milk, but commercial formulas are a safe and reasonable alternative. While studies like the one discussed are very important, we need to evaluate these articles critically before jumping to conclusions. One should keep in mind that, while early feeding issues are significant, they are not as important as a loving and caring environment. That being said, there are various benefits and drawbacks to both breastfeeding and formula feeding and I will discuss these in next month’s issue.

Laura Weidenfeld, M.D.
Sunshine Valley Pediatrics in Summerlin