The American Academy of Pediatrics is suggesting that women should breast feed exclusively for the first year of a child’s life.

Adding food as the baby requires it but not offering formula or juices.

Breast milk is the best way to start off life and it offers great benefits to the mother, as well.

The health benefits of breast-feeding include protection against respiratory illness, ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases, asthma and the skin condition eczema.

Breast-fed infants are more than one-third less likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome and are 15 to 30 percent less likely to become obese teens and adults, according to the AAP.