only breast milk for the first six months of their lives with solid food added after this time. WHO also encourages mothers to continue breast-feeding throughout the first two years of a child's life.

The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) similarly recommends that mothers feed their babies only breast milk for the first four to six months of life after which time solid foods may be added. The AAP advises continuing breast-feeding throughout the first year of life of the child. These recommendations and those of other health authorities provide further evidence of the worldwide medical community's support of breast-feeding over artificial feeding for babies.

Yet this message has been eclipsed by the advertising world's effective campaign to persuade mothers to feed their babies artificially with cow's milk or other formulas. Families are misled by slick advertisements into believing that breast milk and artificial feeding are of equal benefit to babies and women, when in fact this is not the case.

It is important that all men and women become knowledgeable about the many health advantages of breast-feeding over artificial feeding so that they will encourage and support mothers in their efforts to breast-feed. We must aim at creating a breast-feeding culture, where women feel comfortable breast-feeding and where longterm breast-feeding is the norm, not the exception. There are many societal factors which discourage longterm breast-feeding and make breast-feeding success difficult for mothers to obtain. Factors such as early discharge from hospital, negative comments and attitudes about breast-feeding from family and friends, and pressures to return to work soon after delivery make breast-feeding a challenge for many new mothers. However, it is a challenge well worth overcoming as both baby and mother stand to gain if breast-feeding is chosen over artificial feeding.

While there are exceptional circumstances where for medical or other reasons breast-feeding may not be possible, for the vast majority of women and babies breast-feeding is not only possible it is what nature intended. Human milk is the ideal nutrition for babies, not cow's milk. Human milk is easily digested and well tolerated by even premature infants. breast-fed babies therefore have less digestive problems and less colic than artificially fed babies.

The antibodies in human milk protect infants from common viral, bacterial and parasitic infections making breasted babies less susceptible to respiratory, middle ear and gastrointestinal infections. This accounts for the fact that breast-fed babies are hospitalised less often in the first year of life than artificially fed babies. Breast-fed babies are also less likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or to develop insulin-dependent diabetes in later childhood.

Children who are fed only breastmilk for the first six months of life have less food allergies and other allergy-based diseases such as hay fever, asthma and eczema.

In addition to the health advantages for the baby there are health benefits for mothers who breast-feed. For instance, breast-feeding helps promote uterine contractions which reduce the likelihood of haemorrhage after delivery and which assist the uterus in returning to its pre-pregnancy state.

Breast-feeding also reduces the risk of breast cancer in women.

Add to these benefits the fact that breast-feeding is economical, convenient, requiring no special preparations or gadgets, and that it provides a unique opportunity for closeness and emotional bonding between mothers and babies. It is clear why when it comes to feeding babies "breast is best''.

Advice and assistance with breast-feeding can be obtained from the Bermuda Breast-feeding Resource Centre (293-1689), La Leche League of Bermuda (236-1120) or the Department of Health (236-0224, ext. 238).

HEALTH & SOCIAL ISSUES HTH