“Breastfeeding is the biological norm and most beneficial method for feeding infants with immediate and long-term health outcomes for mother and infant” (NSW Health)
Most Australian mothers know of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. WHO goes on to recommend that children continue to breastfeed while receiving nutritional adequate and safe complementary foods for up to 2 years of age or beyond.
“Virtually all women can breastfeed providing they have appropriate support and accurate information from their families, communities and health services…Breastfeeding is the most ecologically sustainable way to feed infants and provides substantial cost savings to families, the health care system, employers and government” (NSW Health)
“Breastfeeding has a wide range of health benefits for mothers and children and is a key protective factor against childhood overweight and obesity” (International Breastfeeding Journal). Breastfeeding is “protective against gastrointestinal illnesses, otitis media and respiratory tract infections in infants up to two years and beyond…studies have found that breastfeeding is protective against asthma, several chronic diseases and associated risk factors: inflammatory bowel diseases; insulin response…Breastfeeding leads to improved recovery from childbirth as well as protection against premenopausal breast cancer and probably postmenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer ” (NSW Health)
The World Health Organisation recommends early skin-to-skin contact, the opportunity to suckle within the first hour of birth and frequent breastfeeds on demand. These steps can help the mother/baby relationship, and also reduce the risk of postpartum haemorrhage. Among other advantages, studies show that infants with this advantage smile more and cry less (WHO) “Breastmilk can continue to meet half of an infants nutritional needs during the second half of the first year of life, and up to one third during the second year of life”(NSW Health)
If you need any more information on the importance of breastfeeding, or any queries about it, the following websites are a fantastic place to start:
World Health Organisation – www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/