Infant feeding

Infant feeding is the practice of feeding infants. Breast milk provides the best nutrition when compared to infant formula. Infants are usually introduced to solid foods at around four to six months of age.

Breastfeeding aids in preventing anemia, obesity, and sudden infant death syndrome, and promoting digestive health, immunity, intelligence, and dental development. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively feeding an infant breast milk for the first six months of life and continuing for one year or longer as desired by infant and mother, and states that formula is an "acceptable substitute". During prehistoric times, breastfeeding infants was the only option for nutrition, such that the young would perish otherwise. Breastfeeding is rarely contraindicated, but is not recommended for mothers being treated for cancer, those with active tuberculosis, HIV, substance abuse, or leukemia. Clinicians can be consulted to determine what the best nutrition source is for each baby.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.