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Article: Infant Feeding
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Infant Feeding
Feeding newborn babies is a fairly straightforward process, at least for the majority of mothers who are healthy and have adequate milk to nourish their young. Mothers worldwide have always breast-fed their babies. This has been considered the safest, easiest, healthiest, and least expensive means to ensure an infant's survival. Studies today show that breast milk contains certain antibodies, nutrient proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals to help a baby ward off various diseases, infections, and allergies. Until physicians and medical advisors began to investigate the subject and write about it, women carried on as tradition dictated, breast-feeding their infants by ...