‘Optimising’ breastfeeding: what can we learn from evolutionary, comparative and anthropological aspects of lactation?

Background Promoting breastfeeding is an important public health intervention, with benefits for infants and mothers. Even modest increases in prevalence and duration may yield considerable economic savings. However, despite many initiatives, compliance with recommendations is poor in most settings – particularly for exclusive breastfeeding. Mothers commonly consult health professionals for infant feeding and behavioural problems. Main body We...