Children who are breastfed for four months or more develop fewer behaviour problems, Oxford researchers say.
The study, involving 10,000 mothers and their babies and in journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, says that may be because of the make-up of breast milk.
Or, it says, breastfeeding may lead to better mother-baby interaction.
Breastfeeding is already associated with other health benefits for babies, including lower rates of infection and less obesity in later life.
Researchers looked at the feeding habits of 10,037 mothers and their babies involved in a large study known as the Millennium Cohort Study.