I did a double take when I saw this tiny article about Breastfeeding and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some investigators at Boston University studied a group of children whose average ages were 13. The 102 children were hospitalized at two different hospitals in Boston for traumatic injuries including burns, motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds and assaults. About half of all of the children had been breastfed as infants.
They tested the children for PTSD using the Child PTSD Reaction Index which is a PTSD assessment scale for children. The children who had been breastfed scored in the mild range for PTSD, whereas the children who had not been breastfed scored in the moderate range.
Currently we know that breastfeeding has a positive impact on mental health, but there isn’t much research data on the specifics of the benefits. This study gives us something specific, but we can’t consider these findings to be definite just yet given the small number of people in the study. Also a study like this would need to be replicated by others who get the same results. But, despite the shortcomings of these findings, it is positive result and could have tremendous implications in the role of breastfeeding on an individual’s future mental health.
Let me know what you think