الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Breastfeeding has a protective effect on childhood behavioral outcomes with a partial mediation of this effect by the child’s IQ, and there is a positive effect of breastfeeding on childhood intelligence as there is a dose response relationship between early breast milk intake with whole brain volume. Exclusive breastfeeding in infancy enhances cognitive ability in children who were exclusively breastfed. Generally, increasing duration of breastfeeding was accompanied by a gradual increase in cognitive developmental score .Breastfeeding helps promote attachment between the mother and the infant which is known to have a positive influence on the child’s psychological development into adulthood . Some studies observed that breastfeeding is associated with fewer psychosocial difficulties later in life .
Our study aimed to determine the relationship between the duration of breastfeeding and psychosocial development in children at 6 years old.
We found that :
- There is a statistically negative correlation with breastfeeding duration and birth order (P value< 0.001) .
- Significant difference between rural and urban areas regarding breastfeeding duration in favor to rural areas (P value < 0.005) in favor of rural areas .
- group IV had a statistically significant number of participants who were born by C-section as compared with group I and group III .
- Significant difference regarding maternal occupation and breastfeeding duration and exclusive breastfeeding related to non working mothers .
- group I had a statistically significant less frequency of infections and hospital admission than group II and III (P value < 0.001) .
- Children in group I had better academic achievement than those in group II (P value 0.021) .
- Children in group I had a significant lower score for emotional symptoms and total difficulties of SDQ compared with those in all other groups. Also , group I had shown a statistically significant lower score than group IV in conduct symptoms. Also , group I had shown a statistically significant better prosocial behavior compared with other groups .
- A significant positive correlation between breastfeeding duration and IQ was detected (P value < 0.032).