Breast Milk and Cognitive Development

A component of human breast milk enhances cognitive development in babies

Maternal factors, such as breast milk, have been shown to affect a baby’s development, and previous animal studies have determined that a carbohydrate, the oligosaccharide 2’FL found in maternal milk, positively influences neurodevelopment. Now, in the first study done in humans, investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in collaboration with the University of California, San Diego, have shown that 2’FL found in breast milk enhances cognitive development. Findings will be published in PLOS ONE on Feb 12.