Description

Breast milk is the preferred food for all infants including premature and sick babies (Work Group on Breastfeeding 1997). It provides health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological advantages to the child besides health advantages to the mother and economic benefits to the family. (Work Group on Breastfeeding 1997) UNICEF has promoted breastfeeding initiation within an hour of childbirth (Huffman et al 2001, Sheehan et al 1999). It establishes skin-to-skin contact providing warmth to the newborn. Suckling at breast stimulates oxytocin release which further increasing flow of milk from breast. Breast milk reduces mortality in the first month of life. Early breast feed initiation is also associated with increased exclusive breastfeeding and longer duration of breastfeeding in following months (Unicef 2007). The WHO and UNICEF launched the baby friendly hospital initiative in 1991 to strengthen maternity unit practices to support breastfeeding (Unicef 2009). However in spite of all these promotions and the known benefits of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding and early initiation of breastfeeding are not often practiced.