Breastfeeding is widely recommended for its numerous benefits for the mother and the baby. The recent research has revealed one long-term benefit of breastfeeding.

Research team found that breastfed kids are more intelligent when they grow up; and get higher grades in their high school exams.

Researchers at the American University in Washington, along with colleagues at the University of Colorado Denver, compared data collected from 191 American sibling pairs. In these sibling pairs, one had been breast-fed, while other had been formula-fed. The researchers assessed the academic achievement of these sibling pairs.

The authors said: “By focusing on differences between siblings, we can rule out the possibility that family-level factors such as socio-economic status are driving the relationship between having been breastfed and educational attainment.”

Data analysis revealed that breastfed children had a 12 per cent to 14 per cent higher grade-point average in high school, as compared to their formula-fed sibling. Breast-fed siblings had more chances of attending college.

By using the sibling pairs, researchers were also able to assess factors like parents' intelligence and the family environment.

Prof Joseph J Sabia of American University said: “The results of our study suggest that the cognitive and health benefits of breastfeeding may lead to important long-run educational benefits for children. But this is just a start. Much work remains to be done to establish a definitive causal link.”