Children younger than 3 years old commonly suffer from fever (27% prevalence in the previous 2-week period) acute respiratory infections (17%) diarrhoea (13%) and malnutrition (43%) - and often a combination of these conditions. During the mid-1990s the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with UNICEF and many other agencies institutions and individuals responded to this challenge by developing a strategy known as Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI). Due to high neonatal mortality and morbidity in the country the Government of India revised the strategy to be called Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI). This strategy addresses various aspects of nutrition immunization and other important elements of disease prevention and health promotion in addition to early detection and prompt management of cited childhood illnesses. Great emphasis was given on effective breast-feeding in IMNCI guidelines. The present study was planned with the objective of implementing IMNCI guidelines of effective breastfeeding as an intervention and comparing the results in pre- and post-intervention period in rural areas. (excerpt)