Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/62479 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 6697
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper uses propensity score matching methods to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and children's cognitive and noncognitive development. We find that breastfeeding for four weeks is positively and statistically significantly associated with higher cognitive test scores, by around one tenth of a standard deviation. The association between breastfeeding and noncognitive development is weaker, and is restricted to children of less educated mothers. We conclude that interventions which increase breastfeeding rates would improve not only children's health, but also their cognitive skills, and possibly also their noncognitive development.
Subjects: 
breastfeeding
JEL: 
I10
J0
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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