India Should Be Seen As A Breastfeeding Success Story, But Here's What the Data Hides--Undernourished Mothers, Problematic Cultural Beliefs And Sheer Poverty | Rukmini S | Huffington Post
— Media — 1 min read
In India, early initiation of breastfeeding and the practice of nourishing babies exclusively by breastfeeding for the first 6 months are growing. Given the poor health condition of mothers, however, breastfed children can be poorly nourished. Author Rukmini S cites the findings of Diane Coffey that 42.2% of women in India enter pregnancy underweight and they gain only half the recommended weight during pregnancy. A 2005-06 study shows that 20-30% of children under 6 months were undernourished, even though they were breastfed. Read more...