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}}</ref> Human milk should be the sole source of nutrition for the first six months, however the [[Canadian Paediatric Society ]] (2013) and the [[American Academy of Pediatrics recommend ]] (2022) recommended supplementation with Vitamin D.<ref name="cps2013" /> <ref name="aap2022" /> Complementary foods are introduced at about six months of age, but breastfeeding should continue.<ref name="cps2013"/><ref name="aap2022"/> The [[WHO]] and [[UNICEF]] recommend recommend that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life — meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water. Infants should be breastfed on demand — that is as often as the child wants, day and night. No bottles, teats or pacifiers should be used. From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond.<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding#tab=tab_2 |title=Breastfeeding |publisher=[[WHO]] |accessdate=2022-12-08}}</ref> The [[American Academy of Pediatrics]] reported that more than 80 percent of American mothers breastfeed, which makes breastfeeding the cultural norm in the [[United States]].<ref name="aap2022"/> ==Benefits of breastfeeding==The advahtages of breastfeeding have long been known. [[James Calvert Spence]] (1938) reported the benefits to the health and welfare of the infant.<ref name="spence1938">{{REFjournal |last=Spence |first= |init=JC |author-link=James Calvert Spence |etal=no |title=The modern decline of breastfeeding |trans-title= |language= |journal=Br Med J |location= |date=1938-10-08 |volume=2 |issue=4057 |pages=729-33 |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2210420/pdf/brmedj04218-0002.pdf |archived= |quote= |pubmedID=20781788 |pubmedCID= |DOI=10.1136/bmj.2.4057.729 |format=PDF |accessdate=2023-03-26}}</ref> 

The [[American Academy of Pediatrics ]] reported that, as compared with formula feeding, breastfeeding reduces [[SIDS|sudden infant death syndrome ]] (SIDS), infant and neonatal mortality, lower respiratory tract infection, severe or persistent diarrhea, otitis media, asthma, eczema, Crohn's disease, colitis, childhood and adult obesity, diabetes, and leukemia.<ref name="aap2022" /> In infancy, simple sugars in breast milk, like antibacterial oligosaccharides, are acquired from the mother's milk and excreted in [[urine]]. University studies have shown that these substances cling to the [[mucosa]]l lining of the inner foreskin and protect against urinary tract infections,<ref>Hanson LA, Karlsson B, Jalil F, et al. Antiviral and antibacterial factors in human milk. In: Hanson LA, ed. ''Biology of Human Milk''. New York Raven Press; 1988. pp. 141-57</ref> as well as [[infection]] in other parts of the body.<ref>Coppa GV, Gabrielli O, Giorgi P, Catassi C, Montanari MP, Veraldo PE, Nichols BL. Preliminary study of breast feeding and bacterial adhesion to uroepithelial cells. ''Lancet'' 1990 Mar 10;335(8689):569-71.</ref> Babies excrete in their [[urine]] about 300-500 milligrams of oligosaccharides each day. These compounds prevent virulent strains of ''Escherichia coli'' from adhering to the [[mucosa]] lining of the entire urinary tract, including the [[foreskin]] and [[glans]]. For these reasons breast-milk is highly efficacious at preventing [[UTI]].<ref>Gothefors L, Olling S, Winberg J. Breastfeeding and biological properties of faecal ''E. coli'' strains. ''Acta Paediatr Scand'' 1975 Nov;54(6):807-12.</ref> Rigorous studies have repeatedly demonstrated that breast feeding protects against urinary tract infections.<ref>Mårild S. Breastfeeding and Urinary Tract Infections. ''Lancet'' 1990;336:942.</ref> <ref>Pisacane A, et al. Breastfeeding and urinary tract infection. ''The Lancet'', July 7, 1990, p50 </ref> <ref>Pisacane A, Graziano L, Mazzarella G, et al. Breast-feeding and urinary tract infection. ''J Pediatr'' 1992;120:87-89.</ref> == Contraindications to breastfeeding ==There are certain conditions that contraindicate breastfeeding. The [[American Academy of Pediatrics]] provides a discussion of contraindications.<ref name="aap2022"/> == Video ===== Why is breastfeeding important? ===<youtube>v=yt2pMQjzP50</youtube>

==Circumcision impairs commencement of breastfeeding==Neonatal [[circumcision]] is a medically unnecessary, non-therapeutic, intensely [[Pain| painful ]] surgery that is carried out just at the time when breastfeeding is being commenced. Circumcision causes extreme [[pain]], [[trauma]], and [[shock]], and disturbs feeding behavior.<ref>{{REFjournal |last=American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health; Task Force on Pain in Infants, Children, and Adolescents |etal=no |title=The Assessment and Management of Acute Pain in Infants, Children, and Adolescents (0793) |journal=Pediatrics |location= |date=2002-09 |season= |volume=108 |issue=3 |article= |page= |pages=793-7 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/pain/re9933/ |archived= |quote= |pubmedID=11533354 |pubmedCID= |DOI=10.1542/peds.108. 3.793 |accessdate=2022-12-08}}</ref> The newborn infant boy is left in a debilitated state in which he is may be unable to manage to breastfeedinitiate breastfeeding,<ref>{{REFjournal

}}</ref> <ref>{{REFjournal

}}</ref> which frequently results in the introduction substution of formula feeding to the detriment of a boy's health.<ref>{{REFjournal |last=Hill |first= |init=G |author-link=George Hill |etal=no |title=Breastfeeding must be given priority over circumcision |journal=J Hum Lact |location= |date=2003-02 |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=21 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/birth/hill1/ |archived= |quote= |pubmedID=12587640 |accessdate=2022-12-07}}</ref> Parents are reminded that [[circumcision]] has no proven health benefit, produces significant [[trauma]],<ref name="agoglu2022">{{REFjournal |last=Aydoğlu |first= |init=B |author-link= |last2=Aydoğlu |first2= |init2=M |author2-link= |last3=Okur |first3= |init3=MH |author3-link= |etal=no |title=Social and psychological effects of circumcision: A narrative review |trans-title= |language= |journal=Journal of Applied Nursing and Health |location= |date=2022-12 |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=264-71 |url=https://janh.candle.or.id/index.php/janh/article/view/110/138 |archived= |quote= ||DOI=10.55018/janh.v4i2.110 |format=PDF |accessdate=2023-12-16}}</ref> and is not recommended by any medical society in the world, while breastfeeding has numerous health benefits and is recommended world-wide.{{SEEALSO}}* [[Immunological protection of breastfeeding]]* [[La Leche League International]]* [[Protection of intact newborns in hospital]]