The WHO Recommendation on Breastfeeding
The World Health Organization's infant-feeding recommendation
Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants;
it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. As a
global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to
achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements,
infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for
up to two years of age or beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical
conditions, and unrestricted exclusive breastfeeding results in ample milk production.
