The Effect of Changing Medical Advice on Breastfeeding
The Leakey Foundation - California Academy of Sciences
Evolution of Mothering: How Long Should a Baby Suckle? All primates have drawn-out life histories with long pregnancies and extended suckling. Time devoted to individual offspring more than compensates for limited daily investment in reproduction. A key part of intensive maternal care in primates is frequent suckling on demand, reflected in milk composition. In all these respects, humans are typical primates; but we also have special features, notably in brain development. But how long should a mother suckle her baby? Biological comparisons yield clues to the natural breastfeeding period for which women are adapted."