You're Soy Smart, Baby

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Got a little one who can't handle milk-based formula, but just aren't sure about soy? A new study sheds some light…

The Scoop

When it comes to brain development, babies fed soy formula do just as well as babies on milk-based formulas, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics. The study followed approximately 400 infants during their first year, testing them for various milestones in cognitive development at three-month intervals. The results? Mental, motor, and language skills were virtually identical among all formula-fed babies, regardless of whether the formula was soy- or milk-based.

Thomas Badger, director of the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center and the study's author, tells Huffington Post that the results may mean parents who can't or don't breastfeed should, "not feel guilty or worried that their children will have adverse growth and development outcomes," if they give their babies soy formula.

Your Baby

Something else the study shows? Breast is still best. Almost across the board, breastfed babies scored slightly higher in mental development, on average, compared to infants raised on any type of formula.