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Cant remember if you registered*Information for Healthcare Professionals only. Breastfeeding is best for babies.
Breastfeeding is best for babies.
Information for Healthcare Professionals only.
Important notice: We believe that breastfeeding is the ideal nutritional start for babies and we fully support the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life followed by the introduction of adequate nutritious complementary foods along with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age. We also recognise that breastfeeding is not always an option for parents. We recommend healthcare professionals to inform parents about the advantages of breastfeeding. If parents consider not to breastfeed, healthcare professionals should inform parents that such a decision can be difficult to reverse and that the introduction of partial bottle-feeding will reduce the supply of breast milk. Parents should consider the social and financial implications of the use of infant formula. As babies grow at different rates, healthcare professionals should advise on the appropriate time for a baby to begin eating complementary foods. Infant formula and complementary foods should always be prepared, used and stored as instructed on the label in order to avoid risks to a baby’s health.
Protection and immunity for growing children
Growing children receiving child-care outside of their home environment, e.g., in crèches or other day-care centers, are at high risk of developing infections. Added to this are the young child’s developmental lack of understanding required for good hygiene and the frequent use of antibiotics (whether appropriately or not) in this age group. All these factors negatively affect the growing child’s gut microbiome and immunity. Infections frequently seen in growing children include many community-acquired viruses and bacteria affecting mostly the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems.1,2