WHO: “exclusive breastfeeding for six months”
“... support exclusive breastfeeding for six months as a global public health recommendation taking into account the findings of the WHO Expert Technical Consultation on optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding and to provide safe and appropriate complementary foods, with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond ...” WHA Resolution 54.2
Health
experts met in Geneva from March 28-30, 2001, to review research on infant
feeding for the World Health Organisation in order to settle a heated debate
about the optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding. The Expert Consultation
recommends exclusivebreastfeeding for six months, with the introduction of
complementary foods and continued breastfeeding thereafter, as most beneficial
for public health.
It recognizes the reduction of infectious disease morbidity and reduction in mortality as the most important potential advantage of exclusive breastfeeding for six months, especially the reduction of gastrointestinal infections. The experts add a caution that individual infants may need feeding interventions that differ from the recommendations when poor iron status or growth faltering is observed.
