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The Effect of Breast Feeding on Educational Attainment: Evidence from Sibling Data

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  • Daniel I. Rees
  • Joseph J. Sabia

Abstract

Using data on sibling pairs drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we estimate the effect of having been breast-fed on high school graduation, high school grades, and college attendance. Our results suggest that breast feeding is associated with substantial increases in high school grade point average and in the probability of college attendance. Adding measures of cognitive ability and adolescent health to our model explains more than one-half of the estimated effect of being breast-fed on high school grades and approximately one-fifth of the estimated effect on college attendance. We conclude that improvements in cognitive ability and adolescent health may be important pathways through which breast feeding affects long-term academic achievement. (c) 2009 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel I. Rees & Joseph J. Sabia, 2009. "The Effect of Breast Feeding on Educational Attainment: Evidence from Sibling Data," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 43-72.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jhucap:v:3:y:2009:i:1:p:43-72
    DOI: 10.1086/599861
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    Cited by:

    1. Elisabetta De Cao, 2015. "The Height Production Function from Birth to Age Two," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(3), pages 329-363.
    2. Jason M. Fletcher, 2011. "Long‐term effects of health investments and parental favoritism: the case of breastfeeding," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(11), pages 1349-1361, November.
    3. George Wehby, 2014. "Breastfeeding and Child Disability: A Comparison of Siblings from the United States," NBER Working Papers 19940, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Peter Frauke H. & Spiess C. Katharina, 2016. "Family Instability and Locus of Control in Adolescence," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 16(3), pages 1439-1471, September.
    5. Elisabetta De Cao, 2014. "The height production function from birth to maturity," CSAE Working Paper Series 2014-31, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    6. Okunade, Albert & Osmani, Ahmad Reshad & Ayangbayi, Toluwalope & Okunade, Adeyinka Kevin, 2021. "Children’s Health Capital Investment: Effects of U.S. Infant Breastfeeding on Teenage Obesity," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 9(4), pages 1-15.
    7. Khudri, Md Mohsan & Hussey, Andrew, 2024. "Breastfeeding and Child Development Outcomes across Early Childhood and Adolescence: Doubly Robust Estimation with Machine Learning," IZA Discussion Papers 17080, IZA Network @ LISER.
    8. Resul Cesur & Joseph J. Sabia & Inas Rashad Kelly & Muzhe Yang, 2017. "The effect of breastfeeding on young adult wages: new evidence from the add health," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 25-51, March.
    9. Md Mohsan Khudri & Andrew Hussey, 2025. "The long-term impacts of breastfeeding on educational attainment of adults," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1279-1300, December.
    10. María Fernanda Rosales, 2014. "Impact of Early Life Shocks on Human Capital Formation: El Niño Floods in Ecuador," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 87693, Inter-American Development Bank.
    11. Borra, Cristina & Iacovou, Maria & Sevilla, Almudena, 2012. "The effect of breastfeeding on children's cognitive and noncognitive development," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 496-515.
    12. Franz Westermaier & Brant Morefield & Andrea Mühlenweg, 2013. "Impacts of Parental Health Shocks on Children’s NonCognitive Skills," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201312, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    13. Wehby, George L., 2014. "Breastfeeding and child disability: A comparison of siblings from the United States," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 13-22.
    14. Koh, Kanghyock, 2017. "Maternal breastfeeding and children's cognitive development," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 101-108.
    15. Khudri, Md Mohsan & Hussey, Andrew, 2025. "Breastfeeding and child development outcomes across early childhood and adolescence: Doubly robust estimation with machine learning," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    16. Masayuki Onda, 2016. "Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Outcomes: Is There a Causal Relationship?," Departmental Working Papers 2016-09, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University.
    17. Del Bono, Emilia & Rabe, Birgitta, 2012. "Breastfeeding and child cognitive outcomes: evidence from a hospital-based breastfeeding support policy," ISER Working Paper Series 2012-29, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    18. Rosales-Rueda, Maria, 2018. "The impact of early life shocks on human capital formation: evidence from El Niño floods in Ecuador," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 13-44.
    19. Costanza Biavaschi & Corrado Giulietti & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2015. "Sibling Influence on the Human Capital of the Left-Behind," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(4), pages 403-438.
    20. Clive R. Belfield & Inas Rashad Kelly, 2012. "The Benefits of Breast Feeding across the Early Years of Childhood," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(3), pages 251-277.
    21. repec:dgr:rugsom:14018-eef is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Bartling, Björn & Fehr, Ernst & Fischer, Barbara & Kosse, Fabian & Maréchal, Michel André, 2009. "Geduld von Vorschulkindern: Ergebnisse einer Experimentalstudie im Haushaltskontext von Kindern," ZEW Discussion Papers 09-069, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    23. Monique De Haan & Erik Plug & José Rosero, 2014. "Birth Order and Human Capital Development: Evidence from Ecuador," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 49(2), pages 359-392.
    24. Sadou Diallo, 2026. "Lasting Effects of Early Climate Shocks on Human Capital Accumulation: Evidence from Sub-Saharan African Households," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 38(1), pages 49-80, February.

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