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Cited by 407Breastfeeding Practices and InfluencesInfant Health and DevelopmentMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Psychological effects of breastfeeding on children and mothers

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Krol, Kathleen M., Grossmann, Tobias·2018·Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz
DOI 10.1007/s00103-018-2769-0PMC PMC6096620
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Abstract

While the nutritional and physical health benefits of breastfeeding are well established, accumulating research demonstrates the far-reaching psychological effects of breastfeeding on children and their mothers. Here, we provide a non-exhaustive review of the empirical evidence, showing that breastfeeding impacts children's brain, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. In mothers, research is presented indicating that breastfeeding influences mood, affect, stress, and maternal care. The current review aims to provide a broad overview of existing findings on the psychological effects of breastfeeding, highlighting the important role that breastfeeding plays across several dimensions of psychological functioning. We also discuss the potential mechanisms that may underpin the observed effects, provide a constructive commentary on the limitations of the existing work, and put forth some considerations when evaluating this line of research.

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  • Benefits for breastfeeding mothers comprise reduced stress and depressive symptoms and increased maternal-infant attachment.

    “Benefits for breastfeeding mothers comprise reduced stress and depressive symptoms and increased maternal–infant attachment (Krol and Grossmann, 2018)”

    From The evolved nest, oxytocin functioning, and prosocial development (2023) · cites this paper as Krol and Grossmann, 2018

    The sections on mood and stress and on postpartum depression report lower stress and depressive symptoms among breastfeeding mothers. The mother–infant attachment section reports an association with greater attachment security, but also says breastfeeding has not always been directly linked to attachment quality. The claim presents that attachment benefit more definitively than the review does. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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References 79 · Cited by 407

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Authors
Krol, K. M., & Grossmann, T.
Affiliations
  • University of Virginia (US)
  • Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (DE)
Corresponding author
Grossmann, Tobias
ORCID
Venue
Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-06-22
Volume
61
Issue
8
Pages
977-985
ISSN
  • 0007-5914 (ISSN-L)
  • 1436-9990
  • 1437-1588
DOI
10.1007/s00103-018-2769-0
PMC
PMC6096620
OpenAlex
W2809222689
Cited by
407
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 58 · 2024: 69 · 2023: 87 · 2022: 67 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1
FWCI
3.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Breastfeeding Practices and Influences
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
breastfeeding, child psychological development, child cognitive development, child socioemotional development, maternal mood, maternal stress, maternal care
MeSH terms
Breast Feeding, Emotions, Female, Germany, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Mothers

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