Table 4.

Summary of international breastfeeding recommendations

Practice	Specific recommendations
Early initiation of breastfeeding	Breastfeeding should commence within the first 30–60 min after birth.
	No other liquids or concoctions should be provided prior to initiation of breastfeeding.
Exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months	Breastfeeding should be on demand or at least 8 times per day.
	No additional water, food or other liquids should be given during this time to avoid the risk of introducing contaminants and to ensure the infant receives adequate amounts of breast milk.
Continued breastfeeding to 24 months	Beyond 6 months, the infant should continue to receive breast milk on demand and complementary foods should be added to the breastfeeding regimen rather than replacing breastfeeding. (Some older infants may reduce the frequency or number of times they breastfeed as sucking becomes more efficient and capacity of the stomach increases.)