Breastfeeding may prevent stuttering

Children who were breastfed in infancy were more likely to recover from stuttering and return to fluent speech, according to a U.S. study of 47 children who began stuttering at an early age. The study, published Monday in the Journal of Communication Disorders, found "a dose-dependent association" between breastfeeding and a child's likelihood of recovering from stuttering, with children who were breastfed longer more likely to recover. Boys, who are disproportionately affected by stuttering, appeared to benefit the most. Those who were breastfed for more than a year had approximately one-sixth the odds of developing persistent stuttering than boys who were never breastfed, it said. "Our study adds to the evidence suggesting that human milk can exert a significant influence on neurodevelopment," University of Illinois doctoral student Jamie Mahurin-Smith said in a statement. "Although it's not a magic bullet, it can make an important difference for children, even years after weaning." The researchers suggest that essential fatty acids found in breast milk but often lacking in infant formulas, specifically docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid, may help explain why longer duration of breastfeeding is associated with better brain and language development. "It may be that fatty acid intake affects the expression of genes responsible for stuttering," University of Illinois speech and hearing science professor Emerita Nicoline Ambrose said in a statement. Several earlier studies had found "a consistent association between breastfeeding and improved language development," the researchers reported. A 1997 study found that babies breastfed for more than nine months had a significantly lower risk of language impairment than those breastfed for shorter periods of time. A later study found that infants who were breastfed were more likely to produce " variegated babbling at earlier ages," a key marker of healthy language development. Other studies have found associations between the duration of breastfeeding and verbal IQ or a child's likelihood of being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. "We've known for years that both genetic and environmental factors contributed to stuttering, but our understanding of the specific environmental variables in play has been murky," Mahurin- Smith said. "These findings could improve our understanding of stuttering persistence and recovery."