Breastfeeding duration refers to the length of time over which an infant is fed breast milk, including the period of exclusive breastfeeding, in which breast milk is the sole source of nutrition, and the total duration during which breastfeeding continues alongside complementary foods. Major health authorities gener…
Breastfeeding duration refers to the length of time over which an infant is fed breast milk, including the period of exclusive breastfeeding, in which breast milk is the sole source of nutrition, and the total duration during which breastfeeding continues alongside complementary foods. Major health authorities generally recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first months of life followed by continued breastfeeding together with appropriate complementary feeding. The duration of breastfeeding is associated with a range of benefits for both infant and mother. For infants, longer breastfeeding is linked to improved nutrition, immune protection, and healthy development; for mothers, it is associated with benefits that may include reduced risk of certain cancers, support for postpartum recovery, and strengthened bonding. Breastfeeding duration is influenced by biological, social, cultural, economic, and workplace factors, as well as by support, knowledge, and individual circumstances. Research published in this journal's network has examined factors related to breastfeeding practice and duration, including maternal characteristics and breast milk expression, beliefs about exclusive breastfeeding among low-income women, and home-based programs to support perceived milk adequacy. The topic falls within the broad scope of Breastfeeding Biology, which addresses the science of lactation, breast milk, and infant feeding. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to breastfeeding within that scope.
10 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 10 articles above have been cited 78 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Breastfeeding, Duration, linking to each citing work.