World Breastfeeding Week 2025, celebrated in the first week of August, calls on us to recognise breastfeeding as a powerful foundation for lifelong health, development, and equity. This year’s theme shines a spotlight on the critical gaps in the support systems that women and babies need throughout their breastfeeding journey. From access to timely information and quality care, to creating supportive environments at home, in healthcare settings, and in the workplace—women deserve to be empowered to breastfeed for as long as they choose.

Aligned with WHO’s “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” initiative, breastfeeding is more than a personal choice, it is also a public health imperative. It delivers hope not only for individual children, but for communities and nations: reducing healthcare costs, supporting cognitive development, strengthening economies, and giving every child a healthier start in life.

In recognition of this global observance, we invite you to explore a curated collection of articles and Special Issues from selected MDPI journals. These open access resources offer critical insights into the barriers to breastfeeding initiation and continuation, including the roles of sociodemographic inequities, maternal physical and mental health, and long-term child health outcomes. These insights aim to support researchers, healthcare professionals, and policymakers in building systems that uplift and protect the breastfeeding journey, from the first latch to the final feed.

Together, through science, education, and empathy, we can foster a more inclusive world where mothers and babies thrive.

“Breastfeeding and Intersectionality in the Deep South: Race, Class, Gender and Community Context in Coastal Mississippi”
by John P. Bartkowski, Katherine Klee, Xiaohe Xu, Jacinda B. Roach and Shakeizia (Kezi) Jones
Women 2025, 5(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/women5020021

“Influence of Perceived Maternal Self-Efficacy on Exclusive Breastfeeding Initiation and Consolidation: A Systematic Review”
by Steven Saavedra Sanchez, Isabel Rodríguez-Gallego, Fatima Leon-Larios, Elena Andina-Diaz, Rosa Perez-Contreras and Juan D. Gonzalez-Sanz
Healthcare 2024, 12(23), 2347; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232347

“Subcutaneous Semaglutide during Breastfeeding: Infant Safety Regarding Drug Transfer into Human Milk”
by Hanin Diab, Taylor Fuquay, Palika Datta, Ulrich Bickel, Jonathan Thompson and Kaytlin Krutsch
Nutrients 2024, 16(17), 2886; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16172886

“Can Breastfeeding Prevent Long-Term Overweight and Obesity in Children? A Population-Based Cohort Study”
by Carolina Roldão, Rita Lopes, Joana Matos Silva, Natália Neves, Joana Costa Gomes, Cristina Gavina and Tiago Taveira-Gomes
Nutrients 2024, 16(16), 2728; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162728

“Association of Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”
by Sheetal Kiran Shrestha, Amit Arora, Narendar Manohar, Kanchana Ekanayake and Jann Foster
Nutrients 2024, 16(9), 1355; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16091355

“Australian Women’s Experiences of Establishing Breastfeeding after Caesarean Birth”
by Sharon L. Perrella, Sarah G. Abelha, Philip Vlaskovsky, Jacki L. McEachran, Stuart A. Prosser and Donna T. Geddes
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(3), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030296

“Factors Influencing Duration of Breastfeeding: Insights from a Prospective Study of Maternal Health Literacy and Obstetric Practices”
by Rafael Vila-Candel, Francisco Javier Soriano-Vidal, Cristina Franco-Antonio, Oscar Garcia-Algar, Vicente Andreu-Fernandez and Desirée Mena-Tudela
Nutrients 2024, 16(5), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16050690                                          

“The Impact of Mode of Delivery and Postpartum Conditions on Breastfeeding: A Cross-Sectional Study”
by Anita Hulman, Annamária Pakai, Tímea Csákvári, Viola Keczeli and Katalin Varga
Healthcare 2024, 12(2), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12020248

“Examining the Role of Interpersonal Violence in Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding in North Dakota (ND PRAMS 2017–2019)”
by MichaeLynn Kanichy (Makah), Lexie Schmidt, RaeAnn Anderson, Grace Njau, Amy Stiffarm (Aaniiih), Matthew Schmidt, Anastasia Stepanov and Andrew Williams
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(8), 5445; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085445

“Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior, Acceptance, and Hesitancy in Relation to the COVID-19 Vaccine among Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women: A Systematic Review Protocol”
by Vincenza Gianfredi, Alessandro Berti, Marilena D’Amico, Viola De Lorenzo and Silvana Castaldi
Women 2023, 3(1), 73-81; https://doi.org/10.3390/women3010006