Breastfeeding and infants' time use

Breastfeeding has a beneficial effect not only on an infant's nutritional status and health but also on developmental outcomes. How it effects development is not clear. One suggestion is that breast fed infants may spend their time and interact differently with their mothers ( and vice versa) than those who are not breast fed. A link between time use and development is seen in the attachment theory- infants who interact well with carers are more secure and develop better socially and emotionally. The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) has prepared a research report (1) looking at how breast feeding infants spent their time, in order to learn more about breast feedings impact on development.

The infants participating in the study were aged 3-14 months and were participants in the 2004 Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The time spent being fed, cuddled, crying, read to and talked to was recorded, as well as whether the infant was breast fed.

The study found that breast fed infants, compared to those not breast fed, spent more time being cuddled or held, being read to and talked to, crying, more time with their parents particularly their mother and less time sleeping, eating, being fed and watching TV. The results show that breast fed infants spend their time differently from those not breast fed. This may impact on how they develop, perhaps conferring a cognitive advantage. The area requires further study.

Reference.

1. Baxter J & Smith J. Breastfeeding and infants' time use. Research Paper No. 43. Australian Institute of Family Studies. June 2009.  Available online at  http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/rp43/rp43.html