It is essential to provide infants and young children with proper nutrition. The vitamins and nutrients in breastmilk and complementary foods contribute to the development of important antibodies that reduce the rates of diarrheal disease and also promote quicker recovery from diarrheal infections.
Breastfeeding is considered a pillar of child survival.
It prevents death and stunting from malnutrition by providing ideal nourishment for the first six months of life and continues to provide essential nutrients through 24 months of age. Breast milk also helps develop the immune system, improving the response to vaccines and preventing infections, including diarrheal diseases. 1,2
Because of the unique benefits of breast milk, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants under six months of age exclusively breastfeed and continue to breastfeed for up to two years and beyond. Breastfeeding also provides health benefits for the mother.
About 1.4 million children die each year because they were not breastfed, particularly not exclusively breastfed through six months of age.3 When children do survive, a lack of vital nutrients provided by breastmilk exacerbates the vicious cycle of malnutrition and diarrhea, which contributes to physical and cognitive growth shortfalls.4 Such high levels of diarrhea mortality and long term morbidity could be avoided by educating mothers and health workers about the vital role that breastfeeding plays in keeping infants healthy and by providing support to encourage appropriate feeding practices.
1Davis MK. Breastfeeding and chronic disease in childhood and adolescence. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2001;48(1):125–141, ix.
2Victora CG, Smith PG, Vaughan JP, et al. Evidence for protection by breast-feeding against infant deaths from infectious diseases in Brazil. Lancet. 1987;2(8554):319–322.