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Breastfeeding

Health Canada recommends that children are fed only breast milk until the age of six months, with complementary foods added at that time and continued breastfeeding to two years and beyond.

According to the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), cycle 3.1:

• In 2005, 91% (82.1%, 95.9%) of recent mothers (ages 15 to 55 years) in Simcoe Muskoka initiated breastfeeding with their last child. This is similar to what was reported for all of Ontario in that year.
• Nearly half (48% (34.9%, 60.8%)) of recent mothers reported breastfeeding for at least six months and less than one-quarter (23% (14.6%, 35.3%)*) reported exclusively breastfeeding for at least six months.
  *(interpret with caution, high variability)