A new study published in PLOS Medicine deepens our understanding of early life experiences and later child outcomes. An international team of researchers, including ANU Lecturer Brian Houle, assessed over 1,500 children in South Africa on cognitive development, executive function, and behaviour.

They found that children exclusively breastfed for six months were almost half as likely to have conduct disorders at ages 7-11 years compared with those exclusively breastfed for less than one month. But there was no association of duration of exclusive breastfeeding with cognitive development once allowing for other factors. The study was also one of the first to examine the impact of HIV exposure on child development in Africa. Prior studies had indicated children were disadvantaged if born to HIV-infected mothers. In this study, HIV exposed children performed as well as children born to HIV-uninfected mothers.

The full press release is available from the study funder’s website, Grand Challenges Canada.

The full study is available here.