Asks Jo Middleton, former ABM Breastfeeding Counsellor.

It sometimes seems that just as you and your baby are starting to really enjoy your breastfeeding relationship, you come under pressure to wean her from the breast. But the benefits of breastfeeding don´t have a cut off point. Your breastmilk doesn´t suddenly stop offering any kind of nutritional or immunological benefits when your baby reaches three or six or twelve or even 24 months. Breastmilk is far superior to any other single food or drink that you could replace it with.

Vital nutrition

Extended breastfeeding offers physical and emotional advantages. One of the most important factors is the continued nutritional value of breastmilk. My daughter showed little interest in other foods until she was about 11 months old and even now won´t sit down and eat a full meal. So it´s reassuring to know that by continuing to breastfeed, I´m providing her with a valuable source of nutrients.

A study called `Nutrition, Growth and Complementary Feeding of the Breastfed Infant´(Dewey, 2001) shows that, in the second year, 448 ml (about three quarters of one pint) of breastmilk contains:

• 43% of protein requirement
• 36% of calcium requirement
• 75% of vitamin A requirement
• 94% of vitamin B12 requirement
• 60% of vitamin C requirement

Immunological protection

Breastfed toddlers get ill less often. When they do get ill, they tend to be able to cope better with the illness and recover from it more quickly. The immunological benefits of breastfeeding, although incredibly important in those vital first weeks, continue to have a positive impact on your child´s health for as long as you continue to breastfeed.

Studies have shown that many of the immune factors passed on through your breastmilk actually increase in concentration in the second year. A child´s immune system develops slowly and isn´t completely mature until around the age of six. So extended breastfeeding will offer vital protection through this crucial stage of development.

Allergy prevention

Linked to this is the role that breastfeeding plays in the prevention of allergies, including asthma, eczema and food intolerances. Exclusive breastfeeding until at least six months, combined with extended breastfeeding for as long as possible, has been shown to be the most effective way to protect your child from developing allergies.

It´s particularly important to bear this in mind if there is a history of allergies or intolerances in your family, as these conditions are often inherited. You´ll be saving yourself and your child a lot of trouble in the future if you can invest some time now by breastfeeding for as long as possible.

Natural weaning

Breastfeeding can be a haven for toddlers experiencing the frustrations and upsets associated with this difficult time in their young lives. Research has shown the natural age of weaning to be between two-and-a-half and seven years of age. Surely the question should be, why on earth aren´t mums continuing to breastfeed past infancy?