http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/18/health/breastfeeding-iq-income/index.html

This new breastfeeding study out of Brazil has been popping up on pretty much every news site I go to in the last couple days. The study followed almost 6,000 newborns from birth until age 30 (They had a 68% follow up rate to age 30). The study found that the longer the child was breastfed, they were more likely to have a higher IQ and higher wages at age 30. The study did not specifically level the playing field to account for "home life, intellectual stimulation or bonding between mother and child, [and] it was not able to tease out whether these factors may have also contributed to the increase in IQ".

In full disclosure my LO was exclusively breastfed until we transitioned to whole milk at 12 months and even then still nursed morning and night until 15 months. I believe strongly that there are benefits to both her and to me from that choice.

However, I also recognize that my child leads a pretty privledged life compared to many other children, so if she grows up to be a rocket scientist I certainly don't think we can say my choice to EBF is the reason for it. I also firmly believe that many mothers aren't able to breastfeed because of circumstances that are beyond their control and I certainly don't believe that makes them bad mothers. CNN quoted professor Joan Wolf as a critic of the study and I actually found her quote to be pretty judgemental: "This study does not address the very real possibility that mothers who choose to breastfeed, regardless of income or education, distinguish themselves from those who bottle-feed in all kinds of ways that are likely to promote intelligence". In my opinion, it's one thing to say that many women who aren't able to breastfeed may also be in situations that don't allow their children to thrive because of socioeconomic conditions (through no CHOICE of their own), and therefore breastfeeding or not breastfeeding is not the sole or main reason for differences in the children when they grow up to be adults. But this quote implies to me that mothers who choose to breastfeed also make "better" choices for their children across the board, as opposed to just being blessed with better circumstances. Even as an EBF mom that was pretty offensive to me.