Extended breastfeeding is breastfeeding beyond the first year of life. I recently talked with a mom whose pediatrician told her that breasmilk has no value beyond one year and she needed to switch to cow’s milk, is absolutely not true. I realized that a lot of people might not be educated in the beneficial aspects of extended breastfeeding.
According to the WHO, optimal nutrition during the first 2 years of a child’s life is very important in reducing the risk of morbidity and mortality and chronic diseases in your child.It also promotes an overall improved development in your child.
Breastmilk alone provides 1/3 of an infant’s energy requirements between the age of 12 and 24 months. One study found that the fat and energy components of breastmilk are significantly increased beyond one year of breastfeeding, which is great for these little ones running around and burning lots of energy. A few of the nutritional components decrease in amounts over the duration of breastfeeding, specifically calcium and zinc, interestingly though, even though the amount is less, these minerals are actually still more bioavailable, or able to be absorbed from human milk than they are from cows milk. These children are also getting nutrition from other foods at this point in their lives. The immunoprotective components of human milk that are present during extended breastfeeding cannot be replicated or replaced. There are actually increased levels of specific enzymes and antibodies present in human milk beyond 1 year that are meant to attack bacteria and prevent viruses and bacteria from attaching to your baby’s cell walls. When you think of a toddler running around and getting exposed to so many germs, it shows the importance of what breastmilk can do for your baby beyond 1 year of life, not only nutritionally, but also for your baby’s immune system. Additionally, Breastfeeding is also beneficial for the social and emotional intelligence of your growing child. Breastfeeding beyond one year is not only great for your baby, but also significantly impacts the health of the mother. Her risk for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes is significantly reduced after 1 year or more of lactating.
There are many professional associations that recommend breastfeeding beyond 1 year, but to date there is no evidence that extended breastfeeding is harmful in any way. There is currently no known age when breastmilk is considered to be nutritionally insignificant for a child. Differing studies have shown that the average age of weaning in the world is somewhere between the age 2-4 years old! The WHO and UNICEF both recommend continuing breastfeeding after solid foods are introduced at 6 months for up to 2 years or beyond. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC recommends the Mothers should be encouraged to continue breastfeeding through the first year and beyond as more and varied complementary foods are introduced. They also stress the importance of pediatricians advocating for and supporting breastfeeding.
Ultimately, you and your child have the final say in how long to breastfeed. The benefits of breastmilk do not run out at a certain age and there is evidence of improved immune system, nutritional, social, and cognitive development in babies that are breastfed for over a year.
Bauer CE, Lewis JW, Brefczynski-Lewis J, et al. Breastfeeding Duration Is Associated with Regional, but Not Global, Differences in White Matter Tracts. Brain Sci. 2019;10(1):19. Published 2019 Dec 30. doi:10.3390/brainsci10010019
Baranowska B, Malinowska M, Stanaszek E, et al. Extended Breastfeeding in Poland: Knowledge of Health Care Providers and Attitudes on Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy. Journal of Human Lactation. 2019;35(2):371-380. doi:10.1177/0890334418819448
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