Breast feeding has always been advocated as an ideal strategy of provinding food for optimal and healthy growth and development of infants. The research in the 90's has also suggested a strongly beneficial biological as well as an emmotional effect of breast feeding on the heallth of the mother and infant.
Developing countries like Pakistan, where malnutrition, undernutrition, infant mortality, and child mortality rates are so high; excellent breast feeding practices that may lower the alarmingly high rates of these health indices require support at programmatic and policy levels.
This presentation, using data from the National Health Survey of Pakistan, will discuss the prevalent breast feeding attitudes and practices in Pakistan. It will also identify the variations in decision to/duration of breast feeding as related to key socio-demographic variables.
Learning Objectives: The participants will: 1. Learn about the breast feeding practices in a developing country 2. Learn about the association of socio-demographic variables on the decision to/duration of breast feeding
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Pakistan Medical Research Council
National Center for Health statistics (NCHS), USA
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.