Breast is best for initial 6mths, experts recommend

Breast milk is advised for newborns as the best source of infant nutrition and a beneficial boost for maternal health.

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Breastfeeding for the first six months of a child's life benefits both mother and baby, according to experts at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. The Australian Breastfeeding Association advocates that nursing a baby until the age of six months "provides optimum nutrition", essential for growth and development, as well as immunity resistance to infection.

Dr Jane Smith, a spokesperson for the RACGP, commented: "Breastfeeding delivers health benefits for babies and is also beneficial for mothers.

"Breastfeeding helps a woman's body recover after pregnancy and lactation (the production of breast milk) protects against premenopausal breast cancer and osteoporosis."

After the six-month mark, mothers are recommended to introduce complementary foods to their infant's diet.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in the UK, only 35 per cent of UK babies are being exclusively breastfed at one week, 21 per cent at six weeks, seven per cent at four months and three per cent at five months.