Wikipedia:VideoWiki/Breastfeeding

Definition
Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the feeding of babies and young children with milk from a woman's breast.



Initiation
Health professionals recommend that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby's life and continue as often and as much as the baby wants.



Frequency
During the first few weeks of life babies may nurse roughly every two to three hours, and the duration of a feeding is usually ten to fifteen minutes on each breast.



Frequency in older children
Older children feed less often.



Pumping
Mothers may pump milk so that it can be used later when breastfeeding is not possible.



Benefits
Breastfeeding has a number of benefits to both mother and baby, which infant formula lacks.



Benefits for baby
Deaths of an estimated 820,000 children under the age of five could be prevented globally every year with increased breastfeeding.

Effect on illness
Breastfeeding decreases the risk of respiratory tract infections and diarrhea, both in developing and developed countries. Other benefits include lower risks of asthma, food allergies, and type 1 diabetes.

Obesity and cognitive development
Breastfeeding may also improve cognitive development and decrease the risk of obesity in adulthood.

Breastfeeding in developed world
Mothers may feel pressure to breastfeed, but in the developed world children generally grow up normally when bottle fed.

Benefits for mother
Benefits for the mother include less blood loss following delivery, better uterus shrinkage, and decreased postpartum depression. Breastfeeding delays the return of menstruation and fertility, a phenomenon known as lactational amenorrhea.

Long term benefits for mother
Long term benefits for the mother include decreased risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Breastfeeding is less expensive than infant formula.

Introduction of foods
Health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), recommend breastfeeding exclusively for six months. This means that no other foods or drinks other than possibly vitamin D are typically given.

Duration of breastfeeding
After the introduction of foods at six months of age, recommendations include continued breastfeeding until one to two years of age or more.

Prevalence
Globally about 38% of infants are only breastfed during their first six months of life. In the United States in 2015, 83% of women begin breastfeeding and 58% were still breastfeeding at 6 months, although only 25% exclusively.

Contraindications
Medical conditions that do not allow breastfeeding are rare. Mothers who take certain recreational drugs and medications should not breastfeed.

Non-contraindicated drugs
Smoking, or drinking limited amounts of alcohol or coffee, are not reasons to avoid breastfeeding.