News Finding: However, they say that this is the first imaging study to search for differences associated with breastfeeding in the brains of very young, healthy children.
Paper Finding: While the exact mechanism(s) that underlie these observed VF M differences remain unclear, our results lend support to the hypothesis that the docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids present in breast milk promote preferential neural growth and white matter development.
News Context: The results of their study are detailed online in the journal NeuroImage. However, they say that this is the first imaging study to search for differences associated with breastfeeding in the brains of very young, healthy children. "We show that they're there almost right off the bat."
Paper Context: We have also shown extended breastfeeding is positively associated with increased VF M in somatosensory, auditory and language areas and, in turn, with increased language performance, visual reception and motor control performance. While the exact mechanism(s) that underlie these observed VF M differences remain unclear, our results lend support to the hypothesis that the docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids present in breast milk promote preferential neural growth and white matter development. For example, the high cholesterol content of breast milk may provide a ready supply from which oligodendrocytes can develop myelin membranes.