As Dr. Richardson emphasizes, infants should be breast-fed up to the age of six months if possible, because human milk is the best milk for young infants. It has preventive and therapeutic value and is economical, easily digestible, fresh, free from contamination, automatically produced, and time-saving. It is the safest food for prematures who are mature enough to suckle at the breast. Instances of breast milk "not agreeing with an infant" are almost unknown. Breast feeding provides gratification and a sense of security to babies. Breast feeding also is important physiologically and psychologically to mothers.
The only contraindications to breast feeding are heart, kidney, lung, and psychiatric diseases in the mother. Also, she should not take drugs which pass into her milk, e. g., antibiotics, atrophine, barbiturates, bromides, iodides, morphine, salicylates, and sulfonamides.
Most mothers can nurse their infants if they have the desire, proper pre- and postpartal care, adequate