Zhelyazkova Desislava, Dzhogova Maria, Popova Simoneta, Pancheva Rouzha
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University "Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov", 9000 Varna, Bulgaria.
Medical Faculty, Medical University "Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov", 9000 Varna, Bulgaria.
Nutrients. 2025 Aug 8;17(16):2578. doi: 10.3390/nu17162578.
: Optimal infant nutrition, particularly exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, is crucial for both immediate and long-term health. The early years of life are essential for brain development due of the rapid maturation of social, emotional, cognitive and motor capacities. While benefits of breastfeeding are well established, its long-term impact on neurodevelopment remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between breastfeeding duration and neurodevelopment outcomes at 5 years of age. : This prospective cohort study followed 92 term-born infants in Varna, Bulgaria (2017-2024). Parents provided informed consent and completed questionnaires regarding demographic characteristics, feeding practices and atopic diseases. At 5 years of age, children were assessed using the Neurodevelopmental Test for Five-Year-Olds. : Feeding practices differed significantly across groups ( < 0.001), with exclusive breastfeeding more prevalent among children breastfed for longer. At 5 years, significant differences were observed in language development ( = 0.037) and behavioral outcomes ( = 0.001). A linear regression model for behavioral outcomes (F = 2.29, = 0.011, R = 0.297) showed that breastfeeding for 6-12 months was associated with more favorable behavior (Estimate = -5.88, = 0.026), compared to less than 6 months. In contrast, paternal secondary education (Estimate = 3.58, = 0.048) compared to higher education and mixed ethnicity (Estimate = 12.55, = 0.023) compared with Bulgarian ethnicity were associated with poorer behavioral outcomes (Estimate = 3.58, = 0.048). : Breastfeeding for 6 to 12 months may be associated with improved behavioral development, and to a lesser extent, language outcomes at age five. However, these domain-specific associations were not consistently supported across all statistical methods and should be interpreted with caution. Neurodevelopment is influenced by a complex interplay of nutritional, social and environmental factors. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the long-term effects of breastfeeding duration on neurodevelopment.
最佳婴儿营养，尤其是头6个月纯母乳喂养，对近期和长期健康都至关重要。由于社交、情感、认知和运动能力迅速成熟，生命早期对大脑发育至关重要。虽然母乳喂养的益处已得到充分证实，但其对神经发育的长期影响仍未得到充分探索。本研究调查了母乳喂养持续时间与5岁时神经发育结果之间的关系。 ：这项前瞻性队列研究跟踪了保加利亚瓦尔纳92名足月儿（2017 - 2024年）。父母提供了知情同意书，并完成了关于人口统计学特征、喂养方式和过敏性疾病的问卷调查。在5岁时，使用五岁儿童神经发育测试对儿童进行评估。 ：不同组之间的喂养方式存在显著差异（<0.001），纯母乳喂养在母乳喂养时间较长的儿童中更为普遍。在5岁时，观察到语言发育（=0.037）和行为结果（=0.001）存在显著差异。行为结果的线性回归模型（F = 2.29，=0.011，R = 0.297）表明，与母乳喂养少于6个月相比，母乳喂养6 - 12个月与更良好的行为相关（估计值=-5.88，=0.026）。相比之下，父亲接受中等教育（估计值=3.58，=0.048）与高等教育相比，以及混合种族（估计值=12.55，=0.023）与保加利亚种族相比，与较差的行为结果相关（估计值=3.58，=0.048）。 ：母乳喂养6至12个月可能与行为发育改善有关，在较小程度上与5岁时的语言结果有关。然而，这些特定领域的关联在所有统计方法中并不一致得到支持，应谨慎解释。神经发育受到营养、社会和环境因素复杂相互作用的影响。需要进行纵向研究以阐明母乳喂养持续时间对神经发育的长期影响。
