Now Reading: Breast milk programmes baby’s health, India’s exclusive breastfeeding at 55.8%
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Breast milk programmes baby’s health, India’s exclusive breastfeeding at 55.8%
Breast milk programmes baby’s health, India’s exclusive breastfeeding at 55.8%
India's National Family Health Survey-6 shows that only 55.8% of babies under six months were exclusively breastfed in 2023, 24, the first such data point from the latest round. The World Health…
The Story in Brief
India's National Family Health Survey-6 shows that only 55.8% of babies under six months were exclusively breastfed in 2023, 24, the first such data point from the latest round. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, with colostrum fed within the 'golden hour' after birth and no pre-lacteal feeds.
Breast milk is customised to an infant's needs, containing nutrients, growth factors, hormones, antibodies, and human milk oligosaccharides. The Hindu reports that while lactation begins months before birth, milk production intensifies a day or two after delivery. India's rate remains below global targets, highlighting gaps in awareness and support for nursing mothers.
The Indian Opinion
Every World Breastfeeding Week brings the same alarm: India's exclusive breastfeeding rate has barely moved, from 53.3% in NFHS-5 to 55.8% now. The lazy narrative blames working women or modernity, but the real culprit is weak institutional support, no paid leave enforcement, few workplace crèches, and aggressive marketing of formula. Watch the next NFHS: if it stays below 60%, we need a policy overhaul, not another awareness campaign.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
