Breastfeeding

Abstract

Written by a pediatrician from the Universidad de Antioquia, this article analyzes breastfeeding from an integral perspective combining physiology, human ecology, and food and nutrition security policy. The author presents the three fundamental dimensions of breastfeeding and its documented benefits for maternal and infant health, as well as its ecological advantages as a renewable natural resource. Based on the 2000 Demographic and Health Survey, it documents the decline in exclusive breastfeeding in Colombia and its association with malnutrition-related infant mortality, presenting three strategies for strengthening this practice in the country.