Authors: Prof Dr med Alfred Längler, Vera M Hesels
Author Information and Disclosure of Conflicts of InterestAbstract
A new AWMF S3 guideline on breastfeeding duration recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding and a total duration of breastfeeding of at least twelve months. This article explains the recommendations and addresses the objections that have been raised, examines Germany’s previous departure from international recommendations, and demonstrates why clearly communicated targets do not place a burden on mothers, but rather enable them to make their own informed decisions.
For further information on the content of the S3 guideline on breastfeeding duration, see the article by Sandra Deissmann in the same issue.
Keywords: exclusive breastfeeding, complementary food, public health recommendations, baby food industry, conflicts of interest
How to cite: Längler A, Hesels VM: Germany Ends Its Separate Course: The Inconvenient Truths in the German S3 Guideline on Breastfeeding Duration. Lactation & Breastfeeding 2026;2:03.
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Prof. Dr. med. Alfred Längler is a specialist in paediatrics, Chief Physician and Medical Director at Herdecke Community Hospital, and Professor of Integrative Paediatrics at Witten/Herdecke University. He is Chair of the German WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Initiative Babyfreundlich and spokesperson for Germany’s National Breastfeeding Committee.The author declares that they have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to commercial products within the scope of the WHO Code.
Vera M. Hesels is a communications specialist, entrepreneur and breastfeeding counsellor. As co-founder of the German national breastfeeding promotion organisation Nationale Stillförderung, she has been working for many years at the intersection of healthcare and public relations; she has also been managing director of the German WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Initiative Babyfreundlich since 2017.
The author declares that they have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to commercial products within the scope of the WHO Code.