Breast milk

Breast milk (sometimes spelled as breastmilk) or mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female. Breast milk is the primary source of nutrition for newborns, containing fat, protein, carbohydrates (lactose and human milk oligosaccharides) and variable minerals and vitamins. Breast milk also contains substances that help protect an infant against infection and inflammation, whilst also contributing to healthy development of the immune system and gut microbiome. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, with solids gradually being introduced around this age when signs of readiness are shown. Supplemented breastfeeding is recommended until at least age two and then for as long as the mother and child wish. Some newborn babies that are alert and healthy have the ability to latch on to the mother's breast within one hour of birth, however, on a global level, 3/5 babies are not breast fed within the first hour of being born. Breast milk can also be pumped from the mother using a breast pump and fed by baby bottle, cup and/or spoon, supplementation drip system, or nasogastric tube. For infants who are born early (preterm birth) and do not have the ability to suck right away, the use of cups to feed expressed milk and other supplements is reported to result in better breastfeeding extent and duration compared with bottles and tube feeding. For women who do not produce sufficient amounts of breast milk, donor human breast milk that is pasteurized may be effective. If pasteurized donor breast milk is not available, commercial formula is suggested as a second alternative. Breast milk supplied by a woman other than the baby's mother that is not pasteurized and informal breast milk sharing is associated with a risk of transmitting bacteria and viruses from the donor mother to the baby and is not considered a safe alternative. Breastfeeding offers health benefits to mother and child even after infancy.