Benefits of breast-feeding 25

Breast-feeding basics 26

Contraindications to breast-feeding 27

Promotion of breast-feeding 28

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breast-feeding for at least the first 6 months of life. Until March 2001, the WHO recommended exclusive breast-feeding only for the first 4–6 months of life. This change in policy was based on a systematic review of the published scientific literature which highlighted a protective effect of prolonged breast-feeding against gastrointestinal disease, and confirmed health benefits to mothers. The applicability of these findings to developed countries has been questioned....