The practice of breastfeeding babies till optimal age has decreased by 10 percent in Nepal over the last five years.
According to the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 2022, only 56 percent of new mothers are exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months after giving birth, down from 66 percent in 2016.
Similarly, the survey report shows that 43 percent of children aged 6-23 months were given sweet drinks, while 69 percent of the babies same age were given unhealthy foods.
World Health Organization recommends that all babies are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of their life, and from 6 months babies should start eating solid foods as well as breastfed for up to 2 years.
According to WHO and UNICEF, optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are critical to the health and survival of young children.
Recommended IYCF practices includes breastfeeding the babies within the first hour of life, exclusively breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, and feeding children a diet that meets a minimum diversity.
The number of women breastfeeding their children till optimal age was 75 percent in 1996, 68 percent in 2001 and 66 percent in 2016.
