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Association between breastfeeding and better preserved cognitive ability in an elderly cohort of Finnish men

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2017

V. Rantalainen ,
J. Lahti ,
M. Henriksson ,
E. Kajantie ,
M. Mikkonen ,
J. G. Eriksson  and
K. Raikkonen
V. Rantalainen*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Folkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland
J. Lahti
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Folkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland
M. Henriksson
Affiliation:
Department of Health Care Supervision, National Supervisory Authority of Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland Center of Military Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
E. Kajantie
Affiliation:
Diabetes Prevention Unit, Division of Welfare and Health Promotion, Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
M. Mikkonen
Affiliation:
Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
J. G. Eriksson
Affiliation:
Folkhälsan Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland Vasa Central Hospital, Vasa, Finland
K. Raikkonen
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
*
*Address for correspondence: V. Rantalainen, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, P.O Box 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 1 A), University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Being breastfed in infancy has been shown to benefit neurodevelopment. However, whether the benefits persist to old age remains unclear.

Methods

We examined the associations between breastfeeding and its duration on cognitive ability in young adulthood and old age, and on aging-related cognitive change over five decades. In total, 931 men from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study born in 1934–1944 in Finland took the Finnish Defence Forces Basic Intellectual Ability Test (total and verbal, arithmetic and visuospatial subtest scores) twice, at ages 20.2 and 67.9 years, and had data on breastfeeding (yes v. no) and its duration (‘never breastfed’, ‘up to 3’, ‘3 to 6’ and ‘6 or more months’). Linear and mixed model regressions tested the associations.

Results

At 20.2 years, breastfed men had higher cognitive ability total and visuospatial subtest scores [mean differences (MDs) ranged between 3.0–3.9, p values < 0.013], and its longer duration predicted higher cognitive ability total and arithmetic and visuospatial subtest scores (MDs ranged between 3.0 and 4.8, p values < 0.039). At 67.9 years, breastfed men had higher total cognitive ability and all subtest scores (MDs ranged between 2.6 and 3.4, p values < 0.044) and its longer duration predicted all cognitive ability scores (MDs ranged between 3.1 and 4.7, p values < 0.050). Verbal subtest scores decreased over five decades in men who were never breastfed or were breastfed for 3 months or less, and increased in those breastfed for longer than 3 months.

Conclusions

Neurodevelopmental advantages of breastfeeding and its longer duration persist into old age, and longer duration of breastfeeding may benefit aging-related change, particularly in verbal reasoning ability.

Keywords

Breast feedingcognitioncognitive abilitycognitive agingcohort studiesintelligencelongitudinal studies.
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 48 , Issue 6 , April 2018 , pp. 939 - 951
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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