What is Initiation of Breastfeeding?
Early initiation of breastfeeding is pivotal for the health of both the mother and the newborn. The first breastmilk, known as colostrum, is rich in nutrients and antibodies that help protect the baby from infections. Starting breastfeeding early also strengthens the bond between mother and child and supports the regular production of breastmilk. Therefore, it is recommended that infants be breastfed immediately or within the first hour after birth, and that prelacteal feeding—giving anything other than breastmilk before breastfeeding is established—be avoided.
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Dashboard Description
This dashboard presents data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019–21), on breastfeeding practices among last-born children born in the two years preceding the survey. It shows the percentage of children who were ever breastfed/began breastfeeding within one hour /began breastfeeding within one day of birth/ received a prelacteal feed within the first three days after birth. The data is disaggregated by various background characteristics and regions to highlight differences in early breastfeeding practices among Indian children.
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Note: Table is based on last-born children born in the 2 years preceding the survey, regardless of whether the children are living or dead at the time of the interview.
TBA = Traditional birth attendant
* Includes children who started breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth
** Children given something other than breast milk during the first 3 days of life
# Doctor, nurse, midwife, auxiliary nurse midwife, lady health visitor, or other health personnel
Pankaj Chowdhury is a former Research Assistant at the International Economic Association. He holds a Master’s degree in Demography & Biostatistics from the International Institute for Population Sciences and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Visva-Bharati University. His primary research interests focus on exploring new dimensions of computational social science and digital demography.
This article is posted by Sahil Shekh, Editor-in-Chief at 360 Analytika.
