ASSIGNMENT

Breastfeeding, Gut Health, and Mental Health in Children: A Correlational Study

Introduction

Methodology

Research Questions

Ethical Considerations

Limitations

Purpose of the Study

Various studies surrounding the gut microbiome and mental health suggest that there is a potential link between gut health and mental health through the gut-brain axis. There is growing evidence that serotonin, which acts as a key bi-directional neurotransmitter of the microbiome-gut-brain axis, regulates, emotions, stress response, behaviors, and cerebellar regulation is altered with intestinal inflammation (Sandgren & Brummer, 2018). This same bi-directional function allows the brain to influence intestinal activities and the gut to influence mood, cognition, and mental health (Appleton, 2018). Diaz (2016) suggests that there is a direct connection between the complex gut microbiome and the regulation of the nervous system.

Experiments conducted both on laboratory mice and children with ASD demonstrate promising findings. A 2004 study on mice showed that mice who were wiped of their gut microbiome experienced elevated levels of stress hormones and anxiety until their guts were reconstituted with healthy bacteria and Bifidobacterium. The younger mice demonstrated a better recovery than older mice, implying “there is a critical period during which young brains are more susceptible to influence from the gut, making it especially relevant to child psychiatry” (Rouse, 2018, p. 5). A study on 18 children with ASD demonstrated a drastic improvement in behavioral autism symptoms after a fecal transplant (Kang, et as., 2017)

During infancy, breast milk-derived microbes compose nearly one-third of the infant gut microbiome, which acts to “seed” the gut with the proper balance of beneficial bacteria known to play a role in immunity, metabolism, brain development, and behavior (Newmark, 2017). Infants who were exclusively breastfed at least five to six months demonstrated higher test results, better mental concentration, and short term memory than their non-breastfed counterparts (Bahrami, Hezaveh, Tanha, & Vafa, 2018). Reynolds, Hennessy, & Polek (2013) concluded “being breastfed remained a significant predictor of child mental well-being when child obesity was controlled for, indicating that being breastfed, independent of child obesity, is a predictor of child mental well-being” (p. 882). Thus, breast milk remains a key factor in overall health, including the healthy development of the brain, nervous system, and behavior.

Literature Review

References

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are childhood mental health conditions that affect all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups at ever-increasing rates. From 2004 to 2014 the incidence of ASD has increased by 10% while ADHD has increased 7.8% for children ages four to seventeen and more than 50% in children from 2007 to 2012 (Centers, for Disease Control, 2019). The interventions and treatments for these diagnoses that have been estimated to cost over a billion dollars per year in health care costs, behavioral treatments, and educational support (Abright, 2012). Aside from the financial impact of these conditions, caregivers for those with ASD and ADHD experience greater degrees of depression and anxiety due to the chronic stress and psychological strain over long periods of time (Schulz & Sherwood, 2008)

During the first year of life, a child’s gut microbiome is established largely by the consumption of either breastmilk or a breastmilk alternative such as formula. Recent research has shown that infants who are breastfed have a healthier gut microbiome, which plays a major role in mood, neurological development, and behavior (Lucas, 2018). Thus, breastmilk may provide a protective mechanism against childhood mental health disorders.

The purpose of this study is to examine a correlation between breastfeeding in infancy and a reduction in the diagnoses of ASD and ADHD in children.

At this time, research points to a direct correlation between an optimal gut microbiome and healthy neurological development in children. A correlational study examining the feeding methods and mental health outcomes in children is indicated.