Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Child behaviour problems are important to study because they are linked to lower academic performance, relationship problems, poor mental health and financial insecurity later in life. Understanding why some children have behaviour problems involves knowing which environmental and genetic factors lead to these behaviours. Breastfeeding is an important part of infancy that has been linked to better behavior in children when they get older. However, few studies have examined the pathways from breastfeeding to behaviour. This study will use information from a large, ongoing study of children (the CHILD study) to look at five possible pathways that help to explain the link between breastfeeding and better child behaviour at age 5 years, including: 1) specific substances in breast milk, 2) factors that show inflammation in the infant blood, 3) infant gut bacteria, 4) mother-child bonding, and 5) maternal mental health. The CHILD study is unique and powerful because it combines survey questions with lab work on human breastmilk, stool, and blood, which will help us to study these pathways. The latest techniques in statistics will be used to define how important each pathway is, while also including information about social status and income. Understanding how breastfeeding could protect against developing behaviour problems may encourage more mothers to breastfeed and may also point towards specific nutrients that could be provided as supplements for babies who cannot be breastfed. This research will also help improve breastfeeding promotion and family support programs to help provide the best start to life for all infants.