Breast-feeding and weaning practices in India

Abstract

Despite the importance of breastfeeding (BF), there are surprisingly few studies on the subject in India. However, the literature that is available reveals that this practice is almost universal, but many customs surrounding BF and weaning are not conducive to the health of the child. Initiation of BF is generally quite late and colostrum is discarded. Moveover, prelactation feeding is generally unhygienic. Although BF is universal, there are signs that in certain population segments, such as the urban and the educated, the duration of BF is becoming shorter. It is recommended that the infant start to breastfeed preferably within 6 hours of birth. Generally, newborn Indians are breastfed for the 1st time 48 to 72 hours after birth. Successful lactation can be started at this time in India. Prelactation goods include boiled water, tea, sugar, honey, jaggery (a course brown sugar made from palm sap) or glucose with plain water and diluted animal milk. Often the mode of feeding is not hygienic. It is generally good for babies to be exclusively breastfed for 4 months after birth. However, in India, particularly out of the cities, women breastfeed exclusively for up to 8 months and in some cases for 12 months. This delay is a major cause of infant malnutrition. When Indian children are very young (0-3 months) they are usually fed on demand. For children aged 3-6 months, frequency of suckling episodes does not go down significantly among nonworking women; however, it drops considerably among those working women who do not take their children to work. The mean age at which children are given solid supplemental food varies considerably across India. The common solid foods include rice, rice with milk and ghee, biscuits, roti (unleavened bread), and boiled potatoes. 99% of women in urban areas; and 89% of those in rural areas believe that human milk is better than commercial milk or animal milk. It is nutritional and has antibodies. About 1/5 of the rural women said that it is good because it does not coast anything. women are generally unaware of contraceptive properties of breast milk. The duration of lactation foes down to almost 1/2 if the women goes back to work and leaves the child home.