How long should a mother breastfeed a baby?

Happy New Year. We begin the year with discussing an extremely important question; how long should a mother breastfeed her baby?

This is one of the commonest questions I receive as a pediatrician. We have previously discussed the benefits of breastfeeding, where we noted that breast milk remains the ideal food for newborns and infants, providing all the nutrients needed for healthy development, and contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. Breast milk contributes to a lifetime of good health.