can help increase IQ, says study
Breastfeeding boosts infants’ IQs, but only if the babies have a genetic
variant that enhances their metabolism of breast milk, a Yale researcher and
collaborators report in the Nov. 5 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences. — By Jacqueline Weaver
T H I S
“It is this genetic variant in FADS2, a gene involved in the control of
fatty acid pathways, that may help the children make better use of the breast
milk and promote the brain development that is associated with a higher IQ score,” says
Julia Kim-Cohen, assistant professor of psychology and a member of the research
team.
“Children who do not carry the ‘helpful’ genetic variant have
normal average IQ scores,” Kim-Cohen says. “Being ?breastfed for
them is not associated with an IQ advantage.”
The study included researchers from King’s College, London, Duke University,
and the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The intelligence quotient (IQ) has long been at the heart of debates about nature
versus nurture. Twin studies document both strong genetic influences and nongenetic
environmental influences on IQ, particularly for young children.
The Yale researchers’ study looked at how long-chain polyunsaturated fatty
acids (LC-PUFAS), which are present in human milk but not in cow’s milk
or most infant formulas, are metabolized. LC-PUFAS in breast milk, the authors
say, is believed to enhance cognitive development because the fatty acids are
required for efficient neurotransmission and are involved in neuronal growth
and regeneration.
The study included 1,037 children in New Zealand and 1,116 families with same-sex
twins in England and Wales. Those who were breastfed and had the genetic variant
FADS2 had IQs that were 5.6 to 6.3 points higher than children who were breastfed
but did not have the variant.
“The finding has many implications, including for the public understanding
of genetics,” the authors say. “To date, research on gene-environment
interactions has been dominated by the search for genetic variants that increase
disease susceptibility to environmental pathogens. However, genes are not only
implicated in disease.
“Here we have shown that a genetic variant may also enhance a favorable
response to a health-promoting exposure present throughout human ancestry,” they
add.
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Campus Notes
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