Breastfeeding – UNICEF DATA

From birth to 6 months, feeding infants only breast milk ensures they have a food source that is particularly suited to their nutritional needs, while being safe, clean, healthy and accessible, no matter where they live. Placing newborns to the breast within the first hour of life – known as early initiation of breastfeeding – is essential for newborn survival and establishment of breastfeeding long-term. When breastfeeding is delayed after birth, the consequences can be life-threatening – and the longer newborns wait, the greater their risk of death.

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Globally, less than half of all newborns (46%) are breastfed within an hour of birth, leaving far too many newborns waiting too long for this crucial contact with their mothers . This practice varies considerably by region. The prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding in Eastern and Southern Africa (69 percent) is almost twice as high as in South Asia (39 percent), East Asia and the Pacific (40 percent). percent) and West and Central Africa (41 percent). ). Feeding newborns anything other than breast milk can delay their first contact with their mother and make it more difficult to establish breastfeeding. Yet 1 in 3 newborns still receive food or fluids in the first days of life, when their bodies are most vulnerable.

An infant who is not exclusively breastfed may be at much higher risk of death from diarrhea or pneumonia than an infant who is. Additionally, breastfeeding supports infants’ immune systems and can protect them later in life from chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Yet, despite all the potential benefits, fewer than one in two infants (48%) globally, aged 0 to 5 months, are exclusively breastfed. South Asia has the highest prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding, with 60 percent of infants exclusively breastfed. In contrast, only 26 percent of infants 0 to 5 months in North America are exclusively breastfed.

So, what do infants under 6 months feed?

Area graphs illustrate the dietary habits of infants between birth and 5 months of age. Ideally, almost all infants under 6 months of age should be exclusively breastfed. However, within a country there may be several non-ideal practices, such as a significant proportion of infants receiving water, who are therefore not exclusively breastfed, as shown in the area graph below.

To access infant feeding zone graphics for over 100 countries and over 200 surveys on our interactive dashboard

As children transition from a diet consisting exclusively of breast milk to a diet consisting of breast milk and solid foods, breast milk continues to remain an important source of essential nutrients. However, only three in five children (59%) aged 12 to 23 months benefit from the benefits of breast milk.

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