Breastfeeding and late-preterm cognition: 7.27 points became 2.54 after adjustment

In 731 late-preterm children with cognitive scores, breastfeeding at 3 months was associated with a 2.54-point adjusted advantage at a mean age of 7.2 years, down from a 7.27-point raw gap. Baseline imbalance, follow-up selection, missing exposure detail, and unmeasured family factors prevent a causal reading.

THE HOT TAKE

The raw gap was 7.27 points. Adjustment cut it to 2.54, and unmeasured family factors still remain.

This secondary analysis followed children born at 34 through 36 weeks. Among 797 dyads with usable 3-month feeding data, 414 reported exclusive or partial breastfeeding and 383 reported no breastfeeding. The primary cognitive table contained scores for 731 children, assessed at a mean age of 7.2 years.

The unadjusted mean difference was 7.27 points, with a 95% CI from 5.32 to 9.22. After adjustment for measured maternal, neonatal, child, trial, and center factors, the difference was 2.54 points, with a 95% CI from 0.70 to 4.37. That is about 0.17 SD. The interval excludes zero, but adjustment cannot turn an observed feeding exposure into a randomized effect.

THE GROUPS STARTED FAR APART