Introduction:
Breast milk is the most nutritious food source for infants. It is considered an ideal food for infants as it is safe, clean, and contains antibodies. Along with providing immunity and nutrients to the baby, breastfeeding has many benefits for mothers. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding babies until 12 months due to its nutritious and immunity factors that may prevent many short-term and long-term illnesses. Studies revealed that breastfeeding has a role in the development of speech.
During infancy, many cognitive and other brain functions start developing. The onset of speech development also occurs during this stage. Certain studies have shown that infants fed with breast milk had early speech and language development compared to infants fed with formula milk. The orofacial changes associated with breastfeeding and the nutrients in breast milk are said to have an impact on the speech outcomes of infants.
What Is the Relationship Between Breastfeeding and Speech Development?
Breastfeeding plays an important role in the development of oral, facial, and dental structures. These structures are relevant for normal speech development in infants and toddlers. Researchers found that breastfed and bottle-fed infants showed differences in speech development. Infants who were given baby bottles late, at least by nine months, had a lower chance of delayed speech development than children who were given baby bottles early.
Children who sucks their thumb or use pacifiers for more than 3 years have higher chances of developing speech impediments. Thumb sucking can cause the protrusion of the maxilla or upper jaw which leads to an open bite that can cause problems with speech. Similarly, pacifiers can also affect the development of teeth and other oral structures, which may result in speech abnormalities. If the infants won't develop phonological perception or speech sounds by one year of age, it may delay their language development.
Recent studies show that compared to other feeding habits, breastfeeding has positive effects on cognitive and brain development. This information is conveyed through the following reasons:
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Breast milk might make structural and functional changes in the brain through fatty acids, which may influence gene expression.
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The various factors in breast milk may promote optimal development.
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Breastfeeding can strengthen the immune system, which may influence learning and memory.
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Breastfeeding may have an impact on the mother's way of teaching language.
How Does Breastfeeding Help in the Development of Speech?
Reflexes are present naturally in babies from the time they are born. They search for the nipple as soon as they are placed near the mother's chest, even if they haven't done it before. The baby uses the lips, tongue, soft palate, hard palate, and jaws to swallow the breast milk. As the feeding continues, babies master the coordination of these structures, which naturally exercise and strengthen. The exercising of the tongue helps in articulating specific sounds of speech. The facial muscles, which play a crucial role in forming sounds, strengthen, resulting in the development of speech and language skills. The muscles of the lips, which help babies to suck nipples, help in the pronunciation of lip sounds such as 'p', 'm', and 'b'.
Most of the infants who achieved specific milestones early were the ones who were breastfed for more months than their counterparts. It was also found that breastfeeding mothers didn't worry much about the child's receptive, expressive language development. It is also found that ongoing breastfeeding can enhance the intimacy between mother and child, stimulating the limbic system and cortical connection that plays a major role in early language development.
Does Breastfeeding Have Any Impact on the Processing of Phonemes in the Brain?
Phonemes refer to the specific sound units that distinguish similar words. For example, ‘g’ and ‘b’ are the phonemes that distinguish the words ‘tag’ and ‘tab’. Phonemic normalization and categorical perception are the two main properties of language that infants have to perceive within a short time. The frontal and temporal lobes in the brain are responsible for developing these properties. The growth of the brain in infants depends on factors such as environmental stimuli, genetic factors, and hormonal status. But recently, it is found that the diet of infants also has a role in the development of cognition and the immune system. Studies showed breastfed infants achieved brain development and phonetic perception earlier than infants fed with milk-based formula.
Can Other Feeding Habits Influence the Development of Speech?
Milk-based formulas and soy milk are the alternatives for breast milk given to infants. These alternatives do not prevent speech development but may delay it compared to breast milk. Children involved in non-nutritive sucking, such as finger sucking or pacifier sucking for more than 3 years, have higher chances of developing speech impediments than other children who are not involved. These non-nutritive sucking habits may have other effects, such as tongue thrusting, upper jaw protrusion, dental abnormalities, etc., apart from delayed or abnormal speech development.
What Are the Methods to Improve Speech Quality in Children?
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Reading out storybooks to toddlers helps in improving their communication and social skills.
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Teaching nursery rhymes to toddlers helps in improving their memory and vocabulary.
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Expose them to many words and things daily so they can learn fast.
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Speak clearly to the child with proper pronunciation because babies and children tend to imitate what adults are speaking.
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Allow them to play with other kids as it helps in building up their social skills and developing speech and language.
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Playing describing or guessing games helps the children to learn new words and to practice speech.
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Playing with toddlers and children helps in improving their motor and social skills.
Conclusion:
Breastfeeding has many potential benefits, including improvement of speech quality. It promotes the development of oral and facial structures, which helps develop speech clarity. Infants fed with breast milk showed early development of cognitive and other brain functions than infants fed with formula milk or soy milk. Prolonged involvement in non-nutritive sucking habits like thumb sucking or using pacifiers can increase the risk of speech impediment in children. Although many factors influence speech development, breastfeeding has a prominent role in early speech development.
