title: [Breastfeeding - an important element of health promotion].
abstract: During the first 6 months exclusive breast feeding is the best way of feeding for newborn and infants . According to the WHO statement exclusive breastfeeding should be continued last 6 months and then up to 2 years or longer. This paper presents benefits of breastfeeding - breast milk components and bioactive factors. Breast milk protects nutrition and caloric needs and has positive influence on child brain and gastrointestinal tract creating physiological colonization - microbiota. Bacterial colonization of alimentary tract during breast-feeding creates positive bacterial flora and has positive influence on gut-brain axis- GBA. Breastfeeding has good influence on psychomotor development. It also prevents metabolic disorders, obesity and inflammation of gut.
authors.affiliation: Oddział Hospitalizacji Jednego Dnia, Instytut Matki i Dziecka, Warszawa, e-mail: barbara.kantecka@gazeta.pl.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kowalewska-Kantecka
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
keywords:  biochemical composition of maternal milk;  breastfeeding;  gut-brain axis-GBA ;  newborn and infants physiological nutrition