Breastfeeding

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How important is it?

Synthesis of experts' texts - Published online March 7, 2008

Breastfeeding is widely recognized as the recommended method of infant feeding worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified exclusive breastfeeding as the optimal feeding regime for children. Exclusive breastfeeding refers to feeding the infant only breast milk—nothing else, not even water—for six months, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary feeding up to and beyond two years of age.1

Breastfeeding has a positive impact on the infant, mother, parents and the health-care system; it also reduces the costs to society of raising healthy children who reach their full potential. For infants, breastfeeding can affect nutrition, growth and development, and offer protection from infection, allergies and some chronic diseases.

Reference

  1. Kramer MS, Kakuma R. The optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding: A systematic review. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, Department of Health and Development, Department of Child and Adolescent health and Development;  2002. Available at:  http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/optimal_duration_of_exc_bfeeding_review_eng.pdf .  Accessed March 6, 2008.

 

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