Breastfeeding

Exclusive breastfeeding (defined as the practice of giving an infant only breastmilk for the first six months of life, with no other food, other liquids, or even water) has many widely known benefits. However social, societal, and environmental factors make this practice challenging for millions of mothers globally. Near full scale-up of exclusive breastfeeding practices could prevent 823,000 annual deaths in children under five years.