Exclusive breast feeding is the norm in infant feeding. Human milk remains the ideal milk for human babies in spite of all modern and modified commercial formulas available. It remains a superior formula not only because of its content and composition that varies with time, environment, emotions, and many other factors, but because it is safer with better psychological effects due to bonding and contact between mother and baby. All fluid, energy, and nutrients are provided for by breast milk, adapted for every child’s age, with few exceptions of small amounts of medicinal supplements.
In a small number of situations there may be a medical indication for supplementing breast milk or for not recommending breast milk at all.
It is useful to distinguish between
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Infants who cannot be fed at the breast but for whom breast milk remains the food of choice (may include infants who are very weak, have sucking difficulties or oral abnormalities, or are separated from their mother who is...
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Koleilat, A., Nazer, H.M. (2012). Formula Feeding. In: Elzouki, A.Y., Harfi, H.A., Nazer, H.M., Stapleton, F.B., Oh, W., Whitley, R.J. (eds) Textbook of Clinical Pediatrics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02202-9_52
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