Breastfeeding Practices and Infant Development Outcomes

Abstract

The biochemistry of human milk contains a vast amount of knowledge and information that was previously un-recognised and unknown. The neonate and infant receive both nutritive and non-nutritive signals from milk, according to evidence. There is strong evidence that early, continuous breast feeding for 23 months significantly lowers neonatal and child mortality on a global scale. Breast feeding is the gold standard for an infant’s survival, health, and development, according to scientific research. Due to its nutritional, immunological, and psychological advantages, it is thought to be the best start for infant life. To achieve the best possible growth, development, and health, the World Health Organisation advises mothers to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months of their lives, then continue to do so while supplementing with the right foods until they are two years old or older. Infant developmental milestones and outcomes like cognitive development, socio- emotional development, psychomotor development, and language development have been linked to both the components of breast milk and the act of breast feeding.