The Intimate Relationship Between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Cognitive Development

Abstract

Objective: to explore the multiple aspects of this connection, addressing both the cognitive benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and the underlying mechanisms that underlie this relationship with cognitive development. Methodology: this is an integrative review of the literature. The guiding question was adopted: "What is the impact of exclusive breastfeeding in the first months of life in promoting children's cognitive development?" To construct the research, data collection and analysis was carried out through the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Scientific Electronic Library Online and the Virtual Health Library Portal through the following Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS): "Breastfeeding", "Cognition", "Psychology" and "Nutritional Epidemiology" combined with each other by the Boolean operator AND with their respective counterparts in Mesh Terms. Results and Discussion: after completing the methodological procedures, 14 articles available on the VHL Portal, in the PubMed and SciELO databases were selected, which show that there is a recommendation regarding exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life as the best means of nutrition for babies, considering that, in addition to providing essential nutrients, breast milk is rich in antibodies, enzymes and other components that promote health and protection against diseases, influencing the cognition process of individuals. Final Considerations: it is imperative that health professionals, policy makers, communities and families recognize and value the intimate relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and children's cognitive development.