Any links about cultures who do extended nursing?

[ambivamom]

I am discussing with some other moms on a board and someone was curious. Does anyone have good links/info about other cultures who do superextended nursing-- past 4? Are there any, and are there reasons besides poverty that this happens?

Thanks!

[superstella]

Well that depends on what you mean by "links" - what kinds of links would you like? In many cultures of the Amazon basin, for example, extended bf'ing is the norm. I don't know that poverty has anything to do with it, although in theory it could. There have been studies done and abstracts are available online re: maternal protein consumption and its effect on bf babes/children (for example: Maternal fish consumption in the nutrition transition of the Amazon Basin: Growth of exclusively breastfed infants during the first 5 years )

Here's a link to an article about why it is important to follow the WHO's recommendation to bf until at least age 2. Public Health Nutr. 2006 Sep ;9 (6):673-85 16925871 (P,S,E,B) Deaths and years of life lost due to suboptimal breast-feeding among children in the developing world: a global ecological risk assessment.


Here's one abstract specifically addressing poverty in developing countries and bf'ing: Int Breastfeed J. 2007 Oct 22;2 (1):14 17953747 (P,S,E,B) Infant feeding, poverty and human development
Is that what you're looking for, or something more along the lines of the "whys" of extended bf'ing in other places?

[ambivamom]

Thank you for responding.

I am looking for any studies or work that documents breastfeeding *past* about age 5. I am curious to know if it exists, and if it is widespread in any culture at all.

I haven't had a chance to check that first link... lunchtime for kiddies...:

[MaryJaneLouise]

Katherine Dettwyler has done extensive anthropological work on age of weaning. She has some information on the web:

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html