An article titled "Why Breast Is Best," in the Health column in the British
newspaper, the Independent, on April 1, 1997, reads:

"Children fed on mothers' milk have a ten-point IQ headstart over
bottle-fed babies, according to a psychiatric study today.  Those who
missed out are not only less bright than they would have been, they are
quieter, more withdrawn, and make fewer friends at school, the research
indicates.  They also appear to be at higher risk of developing
schizophrenia in later life.
   Consulting psychiatrist Dr Robin McCreadie, of the Crichton Royal
Hospital, Dumfries, who led the research as part of an investigation into
the causes of schizophrenia, said: 'Mothers' milk contains an essential
constituent, missing from cows' milk, for proper brain development of
babies.  Breast-fed babies are nearly ten IQ points brighter than those
raised on cows' milk.
   'The fatty acid [docosahexaenoic acid, known as DHA] in mothers' milk is
vital for proper development of the brain and to give it protection from
schizophrenia.  When all mothers breast-fed their babies, schizophrenia was
virtually unknown in Britain.  But with the advent of bottle feeding -
early last century - the disease gained a foothold.'
   His survey, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, shows that
seven out of ten schizophrenia patients were not breast-fed."

The article was accompanied by a closeup photo of a nursing baby.


Can someone with access to the original study in this journal comment on
the quality of the study for all of us on Lactnet?  It sounds like another
piece of documentation in support of breastfeeding to add to our arsenal.


Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC and LLL leader in Madison, WI
(My sister lives in England and sends me clippings from her newspapers)