Mothers should breast-feed their babies for at least the first year as it benefits both the baby and the mother, says the American Academy of Paediatrics. In a policy statement issued recently, the academy says that studies have shown that breast-feeding can decrease the incidence or severity of conditions such as diarrhoea, ear infections and bacterial meningitis. Research has also shown that breast-feeding also offers protection against the sudden infant death syndrome, insulin dependent diabetes and allergic diseases. For the mother, breast feeding reduces the risk for ovarian cancer and pre-menopausal breast cancer (Paediatrics , Vol 100, No 6).