According to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast milk can aid in the mental development of even the tiniest of premature infants.

The premature infant study involved 773 US babies born extremely underweight — less than 2.2 pounds (1 kg) — between 1999 and 2002.

Research found that babies weighing 2.2 lbs or less who were fed breast milk scored higher on tests measuring overall intelligence at 30 months of age compared to those that did not get breast milk. Therefore, health experts recommend that children be breast fed for at least the first year of life and beyond.

Dr. Duane Alexander, Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development said, “These findings strongly suggest that, whenever possible, preterm infants should routinely be given breast milk during their stay in the intensive care unit”..