Published online February 1, 2005
PEDIATRICS Vol. 115 No. 2 February 2005, pp. 496-506 (doi:10.1542/peds.2004-2491)
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POLICY STATEMENT

Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk

Section on Breastfeeding

Considerable advances have occurred in recent years in the scientific knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding, the mechanisms underlying these benefits, and in the clinical management of breastfeeding. This policy statement on breastfeeding replaces the 1997 policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and reflects this newer knowledge and the supporting publications. The benefits of breastfeeding for the infant, the mother, and the community are summarized, and recommendations to guide the pediatrician and other health care professionals in assisting mothers in the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding for healthy term infants and high-risk infants are presented. The policy statement delineates various ways in which pediatricians can promote, protect, and support breastfeeding not only in their individual practices but also in the hospital, medical school, community, and nation.


Key Words: breast • breastfeeding • breast milk • human milk • lactation

Abbreviations: AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics • WIC, Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children • CMV, cytomegalovirus • G6PD, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase



The following policy statement has been revised:

Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk

Pediatrics 100: 1035-1039. [Full Text]



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