Only 42% of babies in India breastfed early, NIN urges stronger breastfeeding support at workplaces

Only 42% of Indian babies are breastfed early, and delays in complementary feeding persist, warns NIN. Former director Dr. R. Hemalatha urges supportive breastfeeding environments in workplaces and better training for frontline workers during World Breastfeeding Week.

Hyderabad: Data reveals that only 42 percent of babies in the country have early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF), and just 43 percent are exclusively breastfed up to the age of six months.

There is also a significant delay in initiating complementary feeding, which is the process of giving infants foods to fill nutritional gaps, which should begin by six months of age.

---

As Breast Feeding Week is observed in the first week of August, it is crucial to understand the role of breastfeeding in preventing inadequate growth and development of children. The consequences of poor nutrition in early childhood can be short and long-term.

Dr R Hemalatha, former Director of Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), has highlighted these risks in a policy brief ‘Challenges and Opportunities for Policy Action to Improve Child Nutrition Indicators’.

“Children with inadequate growth are likely to suffer from more frequent episodes of infections, may perform poorly in school, may have low earning capacity as adults; and undernourishment during childhood contributes to the intergenerational transmission of malnutrition. As adults, such children are more likely to develop diabetes, hypertension, strokes and coronary heart diseases”.

Create an ideal environment

The NIN recommends creating breastfeeding friendly spaces, especially in corporations and private companies that employ a large female workforce. A strong emphasis should be placed on making workplaces, hospitals and clinics safe and supportive towards breastfeeding.

Dr Hemalatha’s policy brief advises “Ensure the staff has sufficient knowledge, competence and skills to support breastfeeding, among anganwadi teachers, ANMs etc. There is need to ensure mothers have access to trained breastfeeding, supporting them at moments of transition, complementary feeding practices, dietary diversity, minimum acceptable diet and minimum meal frequency,”

From the sixth month of the baby’s age, appropriate nutrition education should be continued and complementary feeding practices and diet diversity education must be imparted to women, the advisory added.

Important points on breastfeeding:

· Private and government offices must create safe and supportive spaces for breastfeeding

· Counselling needed for mothers on breastfeeding while transitioning from home to work

· Staff/ care givers must have up-to-date knowledge, skills to support breastfeeding

· Strict implementation of early breastfeeding of the baby in all private/public hospitals

· Written infant breastfeeding policy in all Pvt/Govt hospitals

· Hospitals must have data-management systems and monitoring of breast feeding practices