Infant Feeding: Supplement to Volume 67, 1989 of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Establishes the scientific basis for addressing the many questions that surround the appropriate feeding of infants during their first year of life. The review considers what knowledge about infant physiology can contribute to the understanding of nutritional needs. Apart from confirming the unique advantages of breast milk as the only truly universal source of infant nourishment, the evidence reviewed challenges several widely-held assumptions, including the occasions when proprietary formulas are needed, the most appropriate time to introduce complementary foods, and the best feeding regimen for low-birth-weight infants.