Breast milk is produced by mother shortly after delivery of a baby and serves primarily as food and water for the baby. For the initial months after birth, the baby gets all the energy and nutrients they need from breast milk. It also provides more than half of their nutritional needs in the latter half of the first year, and about a third in the second year of life.

The colostrum is the first breast milk that mother produces after giving birth. It has a lot of proteins and antibodies that help babies get the nutrition they need in their first weeks of life. Breast milk adapts to every baby and its nutritional component changes to match the baby's nutritional needs.

Breast milk is vital for the health of babies, especially in the first months of their lives. Therefore, everyone has a role to play in supporting mothers who breast feed their children. This includes family members, community members, national authorities and global partners. They should all work together to create a conducive environment for breast feeding and to protect mothers from any challenges or barriers that may affect their ability to breast feed.

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