Breast milk is the milk produced by the breasts of a human mother to feed her infant offspring. The composition of breast milk varies widely among women, but it typically contains more fat, lactose, and protein than cow’s milk. Breast milk also contains antibodies that can help protect infants from infection.
While most mammals produce milk for their young, only humans consume significant amounts of another mammal’s milk after infancy. Human adults generally don’t drink breast milk, although some exceptions exist (for example, some bodybuilders and adult men who were fed breast milk as infants).
There are many benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child. For the mother, breastfeeding can help with postpartum weight loss and bonding with her baby. For the child, breastfeeding has been linked with lower rates of obesity, childhood leukemia, SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and other health problems.
The World Health Organization recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life; after that solid foods can be introduced while continuing to breastfeed for at least two years or longer if desired by mother and child.