Women who were breastfed as babies appear to be in better psychological health, according to a new U.K. study published in the European Journal of Health, however the same effect was not observed in men.
A 2009 study had found that babies who were breastfed for shorter periods of time had more mental health problems through childhood and into adolescence, however this latest study extended the timeframe into adulthood.
Scientists reviewed data for 13,509 adults and 17,000 children from two large studies, in which mothers had indicated whether they had breastfed their children for less than a month or at least a month. The researchers measured child psychological development via scales graded by the children’s teachers, and determined adult psychological well-being based on psychological tests.
Among the women who had been breastfed for a minimum of one month, there were lower rates of emotional distress, anxiety and fear.
The researchers, however, were not able to determine whether the psychological impact of breastfeeding was the result of biological factors such as the milk’s nutritional components, or social factors such as maternal bonding.
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