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UNICEF, the United Nations agency that focuses on the
health of children, compiles statistics on
breastfeeding rates around the world. They report on
the percentage of infants < 6 months of age who have
been exclusively breastfed. The table below is a
summary of these results. Information on individual
countries can be obtained from UNICEF (
UNICEF-2, 2007
).
| Region |
Percentage of infants (< 6 months)
exclusively breastfed (2006) |
| Sub-Saharan Africa |
30% |
| Middle East/North Africa |
26% |
| South Asia |
45% |
| East Asia/Pacific |
32% |
| Latin America/Caribbean |
* |
| Central Europe/Russian Republics, and Baltic States |
19% |
| Industrialized Countries |
* |
| Developing World |
37% |
* Data could not be calculated due to missing data from > 25% of
countries in the region.
A study done in a rural area of Ghana evaluated the time of first
breastfeeding after birth. Breastfeeding was
initiated within the first 24 hrs after birth in 71%
of infants. The later the start of breastfeeding the
greater the risk of neonatal death. Infants given any
food or fluids before breastfeeding was established on
day 1 of life also had higher risk of neonatal
mortality. The authors estimated that 22% of neonatal
deaths after 1 day of age could be prevented by
starting breastfeeding within 1 hr of birth (
Edmond, 2006
).
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