Breastfeeding

Summary

Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the process whereby breast milk is fed to an infant or toddler. Infants may suckle directly from the breast, or milk may be extracted with a pump and then fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a newborn's birth and continue as the baby wants. Health organizations including the WHO recommend exclusively breastfeeding for six months; this means that no other foods or drinks—other than vitamin D supplement—are typically given. The WHO recommends then continuing breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years, and beyond. Between 2015 and 2020, only about 44% of infants worldwide were exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life.