The theme of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week is “Breastfeeding – Listen, Talk, Share”. As a pediatrician, over the years, I have learned from my interactions with parents that many mothers have experience in breastfeeding, and there are also some misconceptions about breastfeeding. We should share these experiences with everyone, with the common goal of raising our next generation scientifically. Healthy children today will lead to a healthy world tomorrow. 1, the mother’s colostrum should be the newborn’s first milk I once saw a survey on the network, is breastfeeding good or formula more nutritious, I did not expect most mothers choose the latter, which surprised me. Undoubtedly, many of today’s formula milk is ubiquitously advertised, and how many public service announcements do we have that promote breastfeeding as a good idea? It is no wonder that many young mothers underestimate their own abilities and go to great lengths to buy foreign milk powder and colostrum for their babies. Although the production process and formula of infant milk powder nowadays are constantly improving and approaching breast milk, it is practically impossible to reach it completely. A baby’s first milk should be the mother’s colostrum. Colostrum is the best and most precious gift a mother can give her baby. Colostrum protein content is high, about 10%, while mature milk contains only 1%; colostrum is rich in immunologically active substances, antibodies in breast milk are mainly present in colostrum, mainly secretory immunoglobulin SIgA, which accounts for about 90% of the immunoglobulin in colostrum; others also contain lactoferrin, lysozyme, complement and some cytokines, which can enhance the baby’s resistance to help the baby resist the attack of disease. Colostrum provides more special nutrients for babies, such as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to promote the development and maturation of the baby’s brain; fiber-binding elements, β-carotene and other anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects; oligosaccharides to promote the baby’s intestinal normal bacterial flora to promote the smooth discharge of fetal stools and reduce jaundice and so on. The amount of colostrum is small, inevitably need the newborn to suckle diligently, and the more suckling, the more breast milk production, laying a good foundation for future breastfeeding. 2, breastfeeding is good for the baby’s physical and mental health Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants, although the protein content is not as high as cow’s milk, but most of the whey protein, which is conducive to improving immune defenses and promote digestion and absorption. Diarrhea and pneumonia are the most common infectious diseases in infancy, and many of the biologically active components in breast milk are conducive to strengthening the infant’s immune system. Breastfeeding reduces the incidence of these diseases and lowers infant mortality. Nowadays, many parents buy brain gold (DHA) for their babies, which is said to increase the child’s IQ. Unbeknownst to them, these substances are naturally present in breast milk, which is specially prepared for babies and promotes the development of the nervous system. Mother’s milk secretion will be adapted to the baby’s individual needs, with the baby’s continuous sucking and growth needs to increase the amount of lactation, without overfeeding, which growth factors will also regulate the baby’s growth and development. At the same time, breastfeeding is also the process of intimate contact between mother and baby, the mother’s eyes, breathing, heartbeat and smell of the baby to feel the mother’s love and affection, which is conducive to neuropsychological development and maturity, and to promote overall physical and mental health. Currently the most valued benefits of breastfeeding is the impact on the long-term health of the offspring, there have been a large number of cohort studies at home and abroad, breastfeeding will reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, reducing obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cardio-cerebral vascular disease, which, from the point of view of public health, is conducive to the first level of human health prevention measures, is of great significance. 3, premature babies especially need breastfeeding mother’s milk is customized for their own children. The study of preterm breast milk found that the composition of preterm breast milk and full-term breast milk is different, its nutritional value and biological function is more suitable for preterm infants, such as protein content is high, conducive to the rapid growth of preterm infants; whey protein and casein ratio of 70:30; fat and lactose is lower, easy to absorb; sodium is higher, conducive to replenish the preterm infants lost. International authoritative health organization agencies have actively advocated breastfeeding in neonatal intensive care units, which can reduce the incidence of preterm birth-related diseases, such as feeding intolerance, necrotizing small bowel colitis, retinopathy of prematurity, growth and neurodevelopmental delays, and readmission to the hospital after discharge. Although preterm breast milk has many nutritional, immunologic, and metabolic advantages, it still fails to meet the protein and multiple nutrient requirements for growth of low-birth-weight preterm infants, resulting in slower growth. Breast milk is low in calcium and phosphorus, and deficiencies in these minerals stimulate bone reabsorption to ensure normal serum calcium concentrations, contributing to the risk of bone dysplasia and metabolic bone disease in preterm infants. For many years, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition have consistently recommended that breastfed preterm infants with low birth weight be fortified with breast milk containing proteins, minerals, and vitamins to ensure that expected nutritional needs are met. Our “Recommendations for Feeding Preterm/Low Birth Weight Infants” also states that breastfeeding fortification should be preferred for preterm infants with gestational age <34 weeks and birth weight <2000 grams. This year, we completed the first multi-center clinical study of breast milk fortification for preterm infants in China. Preliminary results of the study found that intensive breastfeeding can enable preterm infants to reach the growth rate of normal intrauterine fetuses and reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections. It is hoped that this study will play a positive role in promoting breastfeeding of preterm infants in China. Unlike breastfeeding of full-term infants, there are many difficulties and pressures from all sides in practicing breastfeeding for preterm infants. Proper guidance and positive support strategies are essential to help mothers of preterm infants build confidence and ensure successful breastfeeding. It is advocated that breastfeeding consultation rooms be established in each medical unit, with professional counselors to educate healthcare workers and pregnant women about breastfeeding, and a series of rules and regulations on breastmilk collection, preservation, feeding, and quality management be set up so as to ensure the smooth implementation of breastfeeding for preterm infants. In terms of the concept of feeding strategies for preterm infants, whether or not to actively advocate breastfeeding in the NICU is where the biggest gap between us and developed countries lies. According to a survey of NICUs in 10 tertiary hospitals in China from 2006 to 2007, only 13% of preterm infants had a mixture of breastmilk and formula feeding during hospitalization. Most of the NICUs in China do not have breast milk bank, the medical staff's concern about the safety and hygiene of breast milk and the lack of breast milk fortification are all obstacles to breastfeeding of preterm infants. However, from the perspective of preterm infants, breastmilk is the source of their life, so what difficulties can't we overcome?