Wet Nursing in the Muslim Community from a Health Perspective

Since ancient times, breastfeeding and wet nursing have been synonymous.The two most commonly used approaches are direct breastfeeding and feeding expressed milk from a wet nurse, and their applicability varies by population.The most recent applicable research has shown that throughout cultures, there is a mutual understanding of the characteristics, benefits, and challenges of wet nursing practise.Instead, there is a lot of discussion about direct wet nursing and the indirect approach (donor human milk feeding) for feeding babies or sharing in the community.Despite the absence of practical guidelines, direct wet nursing is widely considered to be a healthy practice.Generally, wet nursing is in line with Islamic teachings based on mutual help. Breast milk is known to be very nourishing for the physical and mental health of babies as well as very small children, so it is essential to enhance awareness among Muslim women so that Muslim infants consume more breast milk rather than infant formula.Wet-nursing research and concerns could continue to benefit society significantly.

Keywords: breastfeeding, wet nursing, Muslim community, Health perspective.