Breastfeeding duration is associated with larger cortical gray matter volumes in children from the ABCD study

Abstract

Despite the numerous studies in favor of breastfeeding for its benefits in cognition and mental health, the long-term effects of breastfeeding on brain structure are still largely unknown. Here we analyzed 7,860 MRI images of children 9 to 11 years of age from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset in order to study the relationship between breastfeeding duration and cerebral gray matter volumes. We also explored the potential mediatory role of brain volumes on behavior. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed an association mainly between breastfeeding duration and larger bilateral volumes of the pars orbitalis and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex. In particular, the association with the left pars orbitalis and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex proved to be very robust, and it appeared to mediate the relationship between breastfeeding duration and the negative urgency dimension of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. Global gray matter volumes were also significant mediators for behavioral problems as measured with the Child Behavior Checklist. Overall, our findings suggest that breastfeeding is an important factor in the proper development of the brain, particularly for the pars orbitalis and lateral orbitofrontal regions. This, in turn, may impact impulsive personality and mental health in early puberty.