Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the feeding of babies and young children with milk from a woman's breast.Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months has many benefits for the infant and mother. Chief among these is protection against gastrointestinal infections which is observed not only in developing but also industrialized countries. Early initiation of breastfeeding, within 1 hour of birth, protects the newborn from acquiring infections and reduces newborn mortality. The risk of mortality due to diarrhea and other infections can increase in infants who are either partially breastfed or not breastfed at all.