Are the WHO/UNICEF guidelines on breastfeeding appropriate for India?

Publication Date: January 2000

Publisher: International Institute for Population Sciences; East-West Center

Author(s): Ravilla Anandaiah; Minja Kim Choe

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Coverage: India

Abstract:

An analysis of NFHS-1 results supports the hypothesis that breastfeeding reduces mortality in the first few months of live. The beneficial effects extend to older infants when breastfeeding is combined with supplemental foods. A surprising finding is that breastfeeding with supplements is nearly always more beneficial than exclusive breastfeeding, even for children at very young ages (less than four months) when exclusive breastfeeding is typically recommended. The NFHS Bulletin is a series of four-page policy briefs summarizing secondary analysis of data from the 1992-93 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in India. The NFHS collected information from nearly 90,000 Indian women on a range of demographic and health topics. Conducted under the auspices of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the survey provides national and state-level estimates of fertility, infant and child mortality, family planning practice, maternal and child health, and the utilization of services available to mothers and children. IIPS conducted the survey in cooperation with consulting organizations and 18 population research centers throughout India. The East-West Center and a U.S.-based consulting firm, Macro International, provided technical assistance, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided financial support.