WHO

WHO recommendation on breastfeeding

WHO is actively working to get more mothers around the world to breastfeed. Most countries follow the WHO's advice and recommend breastfeeding for at least 6 months.

Breast milk is an ideal solution for babies’ nutritional needs in the first months of life – it’s safe, it’s pure, and it contains exactly the energy and nutrients your baby needs to grow and develop in the first six months. Furthermore, during the second half of the baby’s first year of life, mother’s milk can cover up to more than half of the energy and nutritional needs. The WHO therefore recommends breastfeeding for at least six months, and that from 6 months of age babies should be introduced to safe, well-adapted food alongside breastfeeding – preferably for up to two years or more.

Despite mother’s milk being such an ideal solution to energy and nutritional needs, according to the World Health Organization, only one third of infants worldwide are breastfed for at least six months. The WHO argues that irresponsible advertising of infant formula works against improving these figures. One of the goals the WHO is working towards is to increase the proportion of breastfed children to 50% by 2025. To achieve this goal, the WHO runs, among others, the NetCode initiative to monitor and prevent irresponsible marketing of infant formula. It is also actively working to train health professionals to provide professional breastfeeding support and to help breastfeeding mothers overcome breastfeeding problems.

Read more on the WHO website: https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding

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