Bottle feeding infants is associated with left-handedness, according to a new study

The study looked at 60,000 mother-infant pairs.

There have been multiple studies done on the effects of breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding. The impact of breastfeeding on the amount of sleep women receive has been looked into, the impact of breast milk on baby's gut health has been measured, and countless other things. At the end of the day, however, every woman has to do what works for them. Interesting new research has shown that if you opt to bottle-feed your baby, they could be more likely to be left-handed. The study,  published in the journal, Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition and conducted by the University of Washington found that the prevalence of left-handedness is lower among breastfed infants as compared to bottle-fed infants. "We think breastfeeding optimizes the process the brain undergoes when solidifying handedness," said Philippe Hujoel, the study's author. "That's important because it provides an independent line of evidence that breastfeeding may need to last six to nine months." It is important to note that the study does not imply that breastfeeding leads to right-handedness, Hujoel said. Handedness, whether it be right- or left-handed, is set early in fetal life and is at least partially determined by genetics. The research does shed light on when the region of the brain that controls handedness localizes to one side of the brain, a process known as brain lateralization. "Possibly, the research shows, breastfeeding optimizes this lateralization towards becoming right- or left-handed."