據(jù)英國(guó)媒體報(bào)道,，最近一項(xiàng)新的研究表明,，嬰兒的智商高低并非完全取決于母乳喂養(yǎng),，而關(guān)鍵在于嬰兒體內(nèi)是否攜帶一種特殊的基因,。
這項(xiàng)研究顯示,，十個(gè)嬰兒當(dāng)中只有一個(gè)攜帶這種基因,，這意味著提高嬰兒智商并不受母乳喂養(yǎng)影響。但是研究人員指出,，母乳喂養(yǎng)對(duì)嬰兒有其他諸多好處,，包括減少感染、患呼吸道疾病和腹瀉的幾率等,。
此外該研究還暗示,，未來(lái)將可能以嬰兒為試驗(yàn)對(duì)象,，研究母乳喂養(yǎng)的小孩哪方面受益最大。這也將引出對(duì)脂肪酸的研究,，以促進(jìn)早期智力的開(kāi)發(fā),。
在智商測(cè)試當(dāng)中，相比非母乳喂養(yǎng)的小孩,，母乳喂養(yǎng)的孩子得分較高,。因此有研究人員認(rèn)為，這是母乳中富含脂肪酸的緣故,。但是此證據(jù)的不充分性卻遭到質(zhì)疑,。為了找出真正的原因，倫敦大學(xué)國(guó)王學(xué)院精神病學(xué)研究院的Avshalom Caspi教授,、特里耶·莫菲特(Terrie Moffitt)與同事們負(fù)責(zé)了這項(xiàng)研究,，并將研究成果發(fā)表在《國(guó)家科學(xué)學(xué)術(shù)學(xué)報(bào)》(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)上。
他們將1000名1972年至1973年新西蘭出生的小孩和2200名1994年至1995年英國(guó)出生的小孩分成兩組,，并分別進(jìn)行智商測(cè)試,。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)，基因中存在的一種稱之為FADS2（脂肪酸脫飽和酶2）的酶,，對(duì)智商高低起了重要的作用,。
在這兩個(gè)國(guó)家中，母乳喂養(yǎng)的小孩如果體內(nèi)含有FADS2基因,，其測(cè)試分?jǐn)?shù)平均為6至7分,。莫菲特教授表示，“我們的研究結(jié)果顯示,，基因可能通過(guò)生活環(huán)境影響智力的開(kāi)發(fā),。其他國(guó)家的研究小組也將進(jìn)行類(lèi)似的測(cè)試。”
英國(guó)布里斯托爾大學(xué)的Jean Golding 教授對(duì)此評(píng)論道,，“一直以來(lái),，大量的研究都出示母乳喂養(yǎng)和小孩智商高低有積極的聯(lián)系。但有許多人也懷疑,，無(wú)論嬰兒是母乳喂養(yǎng)還是非母乳喂養(yǎng),，其智商并沒(méi)有太大的差別。而某些客觀因素和社會(huì)因素都將影響智力的開(kāi)發(fā),。因此這項(xiàng)研究理論第一次提出來(lái),，如果嬰兒體內(nèi)含有一種特殊的酶，其母乳喂養(yǎng)才會(huì)有利于智力開(kāi)發(fā),。這是令人興奮的,。”（搜狐科學(xué) 雅龍）
原始出處:
Published online before print November 5, 2007
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0704292104
Moderation of breastfeeding effects on the IQ by genetic variation in fatty acid metabolism
Avshalom Caspi*,,, Benjamin Williams*, Julia Kim-Cohen, Ian W. Craig*, Barry J. Milne*, Richie Poulton¶, Leonard C. Schalkwyk*, Alan Taylor*, Helen Werts*, and Terrie E. Moffitt*,
*Medical Research Council Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, England; Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0086; Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520; and ¶Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, P.O. Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand
Edited by William T. Greenough, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, and approved October 9, 2007 (received for review May 14, 2007)
Abstract
Children's intellectual development is influenced by both genetic inheritance and environmental experiences. Breastfeeding is one of the earliest such postnatal experiences. Breastfed children attain higher IQ scores than children not fed breast milk, presumably because of the fatty acids uniquely available in breast milk. Here we show that the association between breastfeeding and IQ is moderated by a genetic variant in FADS2, a gene involved in the genetic control of fatty acid pathways. We confirmed this gene–environment interaction in two birth cohorts, and we ruled out alternative explanations of the finding involving gene–exposure correlation, intrauterine growth, social class, and maternal cognitive ability, as well as maternal genotype effects on breastfeeding and breast milk. The finding shows that environmental exposures can be used to uncover novel candidate genes in complex phenotypes. It also shows that genes may work via the environment to shape the IQ, helping to close the nature versus nurture debate.
cognitive development | gene environment interaction
