Children who are breastfed are less likely to develop neurological conditions, including autism, a new study found.

[EddyF]

Researchers studied 570,000 infants, about half of which were breastfed for at least six months.

They found exclusively breastfed babies were 28 percent less likely to be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition (NDC), such as autism, ADHD and cerebral palsy.

Breastfed babies were also 18 percent less likely to have delays in language and social milestones compared to babies who were breastfed for less than six months.

Babies who were partially breastfed - possibly supplemented with formula - were 14 percent less likely to have delays.

The reduced risk even persisted among siblings, who would most likely have similar genetic risks if they have the same parents. Those who were breastfed for at least six months were nine percent less likely to have milestone delays.

Article: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14531215/amp/Parenting-choice-slashes-childrens-autism-risk.html

People sometimes don’t realise that environmental factors include things like womb environment and birth too.
If a mother experiences immune stress during her pregnancy (due to inflammation or infection) her baby may sometimes be affected, but that is considered nuture, not nature. It’s environmental.

I can't believe people are saying "570,000 babies is a tiny number for a study" and also "both of my children were breastfed and they're autistic". Just... WTF. How can a sample of 570,000 be too small, but a sample size of two is fine?

And cerebral palsy is something that you are born with. Often due to birth injury. So how the hell breastfeeding can affect that I have no idea Seems a load of rubbish

Quite.

See my earlier post and link to another recent study. Researchers already know its multiple genes/proteins and what they are. Research has also extended to environmental factors, which in that study refers to an immune response due mothers getting viruses in early pregnancy.

Genetics + environment = epigenetics

Yes, that was a load of rubbish made up by the Daily Mail. The study they were writing about didn’t, in fact, link cerebral palsy to breastfeeding.

Your certainly does not reflect the science. We simply don't know much about autism at all at the moment and it is totally possible that we have grouped different conditions under the autism umbrella that actually need to be dealt with as distinct conditions.

We believe there is a genetic component but we absolutely can not rule out the impact of environment. It is possible that people are doing things now that exacerbate the risk of autism or increase the severity of the autism. We simply don't know! It is incredibly dangerous to dismiss this possibility out of hand because it feels controversial or sensitive.

“ We simply don't know much about autism at all at the moment “

We know a lot about autism. 🤔

We really really don't.

Not really, not from a scientific or medical point of view anyway@1vyBerry.

In fact there was an artlicle published in 2018 in Frontiers in Neurology entitled
“Autism Spectrum Disorder: Why Do We Know So Little?”

It said
“In the last 50 years, research in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has constantly grown. However, etiology and pathogenesis of this disorder are still a matter of speculation. Thus, without reliable biomarkers ASD continues to be defined only by symptoms, being diagnosed by observing behavior and by asking questions to caregivers. As a result, established treatments for ASD core symptoms are still lacking…”

This.
Unfortunately I think that a large amount of false certainty has grown around autism. This is particularly dangerous when so many people have internalised their diagnosis and made it a key part of their identity. I worry that over the next decades as we hopefully learn more about what autism actually is then lots of people will really struggle to reconcile the emerging science with how they perceive themselves.

Ah we’re going down the anti autism route again are we,thought I recognised the name.

The diagnostic criteria is very clear.

Oh. Is this article this weeks net “wisdom for all?”🙄

No one knows the causes. 🤷‍♀️

Be completely honest: how many of posters decrying this study would be saying "This study is bullshit, 570,000 is a tiny sample size" if it had concluded that breastfeeding had NO impact on autism? People are just shooting the messenger.

That's not the same thing. If you don't have a child with SEN you won't understand how utterly soul destroying it is to be blamed for your child never leading an independent life, which is exactly what this is doing.
Your decision not to give your older child nuts is not going to stop him living independently. Yet apparently my decision to FF (it actually wasn't my decision as he wound up in hospital as he couldn't feed) means my son will always need a massive amount of support. He will never live independently.
See the difference?

@LoveFridaynight My child with a nut allergy also has an asd diagnosis and is unlikely to ever live independently.

So I do understand where you’re coming from, believe me. I know about the blame and the guilt.
But I still believe in research.

I also don’t think the authors are implying that not breastfeeding means a child will need huge levels of support tbh.
My own interpretation of their results would be that a slightly slower rate of, say, acquisition of motor skills might tip the balance in favour of a diagnosis in some children? There will always be people on either side of the diagnostic threshold (which in itself shifts) and a slight nudge in one direction or another might make a difference?
It could depend on the individual’s genetic background too though. We really don’t know enough.

ETA and of course they haven’t shown causation.

ASD can cause issues with BF as babies often have digestive issues. My EBF ASD DS had a huge amount of weight loss and also CMPA which is common in ASD babies. Many people in that situation would try BFing

Also ND is very genetic. I thought my family was NT until i was going through diagnoses with DS, i have subsequently realised they are all like him, but in our family that is the normal way to be! Haha

Yep my babies all had dreadful weight loss BFing. They also hated it as did I- sensory reasons, feeling trapped…