Germany Changes Guidelines: Six Months of Exclusive Breastfeeding Recommended

The German National Breastfeeding Commission has announced a groundbreaking change in national newborn care standards. According to the newly presented guideline, full-term infants should be fed exclusively or predominantly with mother's milk until completing the sixth month of life. This document ends the long-standing specificity of German advisory practices, which suggested starting solid foods, such as purees, between the fourth and sixth months. The decision was made after a thorough analysis of numerous observational studies, which indicate statistically significant health benefits for both the child and the mother. Experts emphasize that natural breast milk protects infants from infections and promotes their optimal development. At the same time, the commission chair, Regina Ensenauer, noted that the recommendations were formulated with some caution, as observational studies confirm strong associations but do not always demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The focus was on a twelve-month total breastfeeding period, without detailed analysis of the effects of a two-year period. Poland and most European countries have based their recommendations for years on the 2001 WHO model, which promotes exclusive breastfeeding for six months as the gold standard in pediatric nutrition.The new guidelines aim to standardize the message directed at parents by pediatricians, neonatologists, and midwives. This change coincides with the growing popularity of alternative weaning methods, such as Baby-Led Weaning (BLW), which by definition assumes the child's readiness to accept solid foods only around the 24th week of life. Experts hope that a clear recommendation will dispel parents' doubts about the timing of the first non-milk meal. „The panel focused on the twelve-month period due to the more favorable state of scientific research available for this age group.” — Regina Ensenauer Change in Feeding Recommendations in Germany: Exclusive breastfeeding: 4-6 months → 6 months (full); Introduction of solid foods: earliest after 4th month → after 6th month; Consistency with WHO: partial → full 6 months — is the new standard for exclusive breastfeeding Highlights the need for systemic support for women wishing to breastfeed longer, including extended maternity leave. | Emphasizes the importance of scientific research results and maternal choice in the context of new, more stringent recommendations.