Nearly 60 per cent babies in India miss out on life-giving breast milk, making them vulnerable to various threatening diseases and lowering their chances of meeting physical and mental growth standards.
However, good news is that breastfeeding initiation in India in the first hour of birth has doubled from 23.1 per cent in 2005 to 41.5 per cent in 2015, according to a recently released UNICEF and WHO report which has quoted National Family Health Survey (2015-16) data. Breastfeeding in the first hour of life is important because infants need colostrum — yellowish breast milk produced in the initial days which is rich in antibodies.
“India has shown progress by doubling early initiation within a decade. The life-saving protection of breastfeeding is particularly important in humanitarian settings,” said Unicef’s India representative, Yasmin Ali Haque.
Worldwide, an estimated 78 million babies — or three out of five — are deprived of the breast milk, according to the report. The report has warned that a delay in breastfeeding is linked to an increased risk of infant death. Those first breastfed between two and 23 hours after birth face a 30 per cent higher risk of death within their first 28 days than those breastfed within the first hour after birth, it said.
Citing the NFHS(2015-16), the report notes that 54.9 per cent children are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and use of water and other fluids is one of the main reasons for discontinuation of exclusive breastfeeding.
Children who are not breastfed within one of hour of birth have 33 per cent higher risk of neonatal mortality and the challenge that India faces is to ensure that breastfeeding starts in time and children are given only breastmilk in the first six months of life, the report warns. Dr Arun Gupta, paediatrician and founder of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India said that it is a matter of concern that only 41 per cent women are able to begin breastfeeding within one hour even though 80 per cent women are delivering in health facilities. Though this provides the Government an ample opportunity to provide the new mothers support system where they can breastfeed their infants within one hour of birth and young children up to 2 years, in actual this is happening. “Unless a multi sector response comes up to help women breastfeed, breastfeeding rates will not increase,” he added.