Report on Breastfeeding in Brant/Brantford

The purpose of this report is to provide the rationale and direction for planning breastfeeding initiatives to assist Brantford/Brant to attain the fullest benefits associated with breastfeeding. This report includes a literature review, analysis of data for Brantford/Brant, and a series of recommendations. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is recommended for all healthy infants and their mothers. This recommendation is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has been adopted by Health Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society. This is a change from the previous position that encouraged the introduction of complementary foods when infants were four to six months of age. The reason for this revision is due to a lack of evidence to support any additional benefits for infants by presenting complementary foods at an earlier age and addresses the impact of early introduction of such foods in decreasing breast milk intake. 

Report on Breastfeeding in Brant/Brantford (PDF 100 kB)