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Breast-Feeding

Breast-feeding is feeding a baby breast milk directly from the breast or from a bottle after expressing the milk with a pump. Breast milk provides the best nutrition for a baby.

All major professional medical groups that focus on children, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), recommend breast-feeding for at least the first year of a baby's life. This recommendation includes feeding a baby only breast milk for the first 6 months. Other foods, such as cereal, are then gradually introduced while the baby continues to breast-feed.

Last Revised: April 14, 2011

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology

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