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( Breastfeeding)
Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from human breasts, not from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is possible for most mothers to nourish their infant (or infants in the case of twins and multiple births) by breastfeeding for the first six months, if not longer, without the supplement of infant formula milk or solid food. In most situations human breast milk is the best source of nourishment for human infants,[1] preventing disease, promoting health and reducing health care costs[2] (exceptions include situations where the mother is taking certain drugs or is infected with tuberculosis or HIV). Experts disagree about how long to breastfeed to gain the greatest benefit, and about the risks of using artificial formulas.[3][4][5] In both developing and developed countries, artificial feeding is associated with more deaths from diarrhoea in infants.[6] The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends at least one year of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of the infant's life. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life "provides continuing protection against diarrhea and respiratory tract infection" that is more common in babies fed formula. [7] The WHO[8] and AAP[9] both stress the value of breastfeeding for mothers and children. While recognizing the superiority of breastfeeding, regulating authorities work to make artificial feeding safer when it is used.[4] According to a WHO 2001 report,[10] alternatives to breastfeeding include
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Breastfeeding Subcategories
Breastfeeding Articles
Coming to Terms with your Infertility by India Parenting
Introduction
People take parenthood as much for granted as birth and death. You are born; you get an education, then a job, followed by marriage, parenthood and finally death. This is some kind of unwritten cosmic schedule that humans ...
Breastfeeding and Weight Loss by Krishan Bakhtu
It’s that time of day again, and you eagerly settle down in your grandmother’s antique rocking chair to breastfeed your newborn. This is the best time of the day for you as it affords more bonding time with your baby. But did you also know that you a...
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