Mentor: Karly Geller, Ph.D.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of life is recognized as a foundational early-life behavior that can shape a child’s long-term health trajectory. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding during this period because human milk provides optimal nutrition, immune protection, and developmental benefits for infants while also supporting maternal health. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfeeding is associated with lower risks of short-term illnesses such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, eczema, and sudden infant death syndrome, as well as reduced risk of later obesity, diabetes, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and certain cancers for infants. Mothers who breastfeed also experience important health benefits, including lower risks of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and thyroid cancer. Beyond these biological benefits, breastfeeding represents a cost-effective public health strategy with substantial implications for population health and healthcare spending.

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