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Breast-feeding beyond infancy: What you need to know
Content
Is breast-feeding beyond infancy recommended?
What are the benefits of breast-feeding beyond infancy?
What role does breast milk play in an older baby's diet?
Will breast-feeding beyond infancy make the weaning process more difficult?
How can I handle negative reactions to breast-feeding beyond infancy?
What are the benefits of breast-feeding beyond infancy?
The benefits of breast-feeding beyond infancy for a child include:
- Balanced nutrition. Breast milk is considered the gold standard for infant nutrition. There's no known age at which breast milk is considered to become nutritionally insignificant for a child.
- Boosted immunity. As long as you breast-feed, the cells, hormones and antibodies in your breast milk will continue to bolster your child's immune system.
The benefits of breast-feeding beyond infancy for a mother include:
- Reduced risk of certain illnesses. Breast-feeding for 12 months or more cumulatively in life has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
