ABSTRACT
Human breast-milk is the best nutrition for human infants. Its unique composition is ideal for early growth and development. Many studies demonstrate the superiority of human milk for human infants over that of other species, as it contains leukocytes, specific antibodies and other antimicrobial factors that protect against common infections such as gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infection, sepsis, otitis media, urinary tract infection and meningitis1. Epidemiological studies document reduced incidences of chronic childhood diseases such as lymphoma, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, Crohn’s disease, obesity and allergies among children who breast-fed2-6. Better neurodevelopmental outcome and many psychological and cognitive benefits accrue for breast-fed infants, compared with those who have not experienced this form of nutrition7.
