High Risk Families Should Possibly Consider Nourishing by Breast vs. Bottle
In Lebanon, where breastfeeding is declining and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are increasing, new research has come out which points to more evidence demonstrating that breastfeeding provides a protective effect against the development of autism. This research recruited 46 children under the age of 36 months who were recently diagnosed with ASD. The children with autism were then compared to 184 healthy controls matched by gender and gestational age. The results were striking, the children with ASD were significantly less likely to have been exclusively breastfed compared to the control group. The researchers call for more examination to determine if breastfeeding could help reduce the likelihood of ASD in cases of women at higher risk of having a child with autism due to a family history of ASD or advanced parental ages.
