Breastfed Babies Walk Earlier
Two studies have shown that breastfed babies walk earlier than bottle-fed babies even after allowing for differences in weight between the 2 groups and excluding babies whose mothers went out to work (because they might possibly have been less stimulated to walk).
Better Speech Development
Tongue thrust problems often develop among bottle-fed babies as they try to slow down the flow of milk coming from the artificial nipple. This can lead to speech problem. as well as mouth-breathing, lip-biting, gum disease and a generally unattractive appearance.
Better Social Skills
A study in Hungary found that breastfeeding in the first 3 months of life greatly improves a child;s social maturity (as well as psychomotor, ie physical movement,skills). This is encouraged by human contact during feeding (a nursing mother must cuddle her infant closely many times during the day). At birth, infant see only 12-15 inches, the distance between a nursing baby and its mother's face. This gives child an important early start in human interaction.
Facilitates Proper Dental and Jaw Development
Suckling at the breast is good for baby's tooth and jaw development. Babies at the breast have to use as much as 60 times more energy to get food than do those drinking from a bottle.
As the babies' jaw muscles are strenuously exercised in suckling,their constant pulling encourages the growth of well-formed jaws and straight, healthy teeth.
Among breastfed infant, the longer the duration of nursing, the lower the incidents of malocclusion (faulty mouth and jaw development).
Many specialist report that they see fewer such problems in breastfed babies. In one survey of nearly 500 children with such problems, only 2 had been breastfed.
