It's been called a child's 'first vaccine.' Breast milk, says the United Nations International Children's Fund (Unicef), 'provides every child with the best possible start in life … the best source of nutrition.' Unicef said that breastfeeding in the first hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and giving of complimentary food at six months with continued breastfeeding up to two years old, offer a 'strong line of defense' against childhood illnesses. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) says all over the world, 820,000 children five years and below could be saved yearly if all infants up to 23 months old are 'optimally breastfed.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/161460/breastfeeding-the-first-vaccine

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