Feeding during Late Infancy and Early Childhood: Impact on Health

Three years ago, in May 2001, the World Health Assembly came to the
conclusion that it was safe for the majority of infants to be exclusively
breastfed for the first 6 months of life, and extending the period of exclusive
breastfeeding to that age would also be beneficial. This conclusion was
translated into a recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months,
and while complementary feeding of high-quality should be introduced at
that age, breastfeeding should preferentially be continued beyond the second
year of life. Although some beneficial effects, particularly the prevention of
infections, will be more pronounced in low-income than in high-income
societies, other impacts on mental development and immune functions, for
example, are likely to be important also in high-income societies. It is
therefore clear that the new recommendations will affect the infant feeding
mode on a global level. Moreover, during the last decades it has become
evident that infant nutrition has developmental and health effects which may
last beyond infancy, even into adulthood