![]() ![]() An integral part of this new focus is research that tests how genetic differences moderate the effects of environmental influences on individuals' health and behavior ( 7). In the past 5 years, the nature versus nurture debate has shifted toward interest in how both nature and nurture work together ( 6). Twin studies document that differences between individuals' IQs are under strong genetic influence, but twin studies also attest to the existence of nongenetic, environmental influences on IQ, particularly for young children ( 4, 5). It also shows that genes may work via the environment to shape the IQ, helping to close the nature versus nurture debate.įor 100 years, the IQ has been at the heart of scientific and public debates about nature versus nurture ( 1– 3). The finding shows that environmental exposures can be used to uncover novel candidate genes in complex phenotypes. 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. 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. Breastfed children attain higher IQ scores than children not fed breast milk, presumably because of the fatty acids uniquely available in breast milk. Breastfeeding is one of the earliest such postnatal experiences. Children's intellectual development is influenced by both genetic inheritance and environmental experiences.
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