NFHS-6 Breastfeeding Data: India has made encouraging progress in ensuring that newborns are breastfed within the first hour after birth. However, maintaining exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended first six months remains a major challenge, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6).
Health experts warn that while hospitals are improving early breastfeeding practices, many mothers struggle to continue exclusive breastfeeding after returning home due to limited support, workplace pressures and other social challenges. Beyond its health implications, this trend also carries a significant economic cost. A study published in PLOS ONE estimates that inadequate breastfeeding practices cost India nearly $14.5 billion annually through higher healthcare expenses and reduced productivity.
Early Breastfeeding Improves, But Six-Month Rates Decline
The latest NFHS findings reveal a mixed picture.
The proportion of babies who begin breastfeeding within the first hour of birth has increased from 41.8% to 50.1%, reflecting better maternity care and improved hospital practices.
However, the percentage of infants under six months who receive exclusive breastfeeding—without water, formula or other foods—has dropped significantly from 63.7% to 55.8%.
Health experts say this indicates that while mothers are initiating breastfeeding successfully, sustaining it during the crucial first six months remains difficult.
Why Are Mothers Unable to Continue Exclusive Breastfeeding?
According to Dr. Neelam Mohan, President of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics and Director of Paediatrics at Medanta, improved delivery-room practices deserve recognition, but continued support after childbirth is lacking.
She explained that many mothers successfully breastfeed during the initial weeks after delivery but discontinue exclusive breastfeeding once they resume work or lose access to structured postnatal counselling.
Similarly, Dr. Naveen Thacker, Executive Director of the International Paediatric Association, highlighted that the biggest challenges arise after mothers leave healthcare facilities.
Limited family support, workplace responsibilities and inconsistent breastfeeding guidance often make it difficult to continue exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended six months.
He also noted that mothers of premature babies, low birth weight infants and women recovering from Caesarean deliveries require additional support that is often unavailable.
Rising Caesarean Deliveries Add to the Challenge
The survey also points to another important trend.
The proportion of Caesarean section (C-section) births has increased from 21.5% to 27.2% since the previous NFHS survey.
Medical experts explain that C-sections can delay skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and sometimes slow the establishment of breastfeeding.
The situation becomes even more difficult because over 90% of working women in India are employed in the informal sector, where they are not covered by the country’s 26-week paid maternity leave benefits.
Without workplace protection and continued lactation support, maintaining exclusive breastfeeding becomes increasingly difficult.
Experts Call for Better Support Systems
Healthcare professionals believe India already has strong breastfeeding policies, but implementation needs to improve.
Experts recommend:
- Providing quality lactation counselling before mothers leave hospitals.
- Strengthening the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.
- Offering continued breastfeeding support through community health workers.
- Creating breastfeeding-friendly workplaces.
- Increasing family participation, especially involving fathers and grandparents in infant feeding decisions.
Dr. Mohan also recommends expanding India’s nutrition strategy beyond the first 1,000 days to cover the first 2,000 days, integrating maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, child development, infection prevention and growth monitoring into one continuous care programme.
State-Wise Breastfeeding Trends Show Wide Differences
The national average masks significant regional variations.
States Showing Improvement
Several states recorded notable gains in exclusive breastfeeding:
- Kerala: Increased by 17.2 percentage points to 72.7%, the highest in India.
- Sikkim: Recorded the largest improvement, rising by 21.3 percentage points to 49.6%.
- Gujarat: Improved to 71.4%.
- West Bengal: Increased to 58.4%.
- Bihar: Rose to 62.5%.
Experts believe these improvements reflect stronger community counselling, better maternal healthcare and greater family involvement.
States Recording Sharp Declines
Some northern states witnessed significant drops:
- Haryana: Fell by 28.3 percentage points to 41.2%.
- Uttar Pradesh: Declined by 25.1 percentage points to 34.6%.
- Madhya Pradesh: Also reported a substantial decrease.
The contrasting trends highlight the importance of sustained community-level breastfeeding support.
Complementary Feeding Improves, But Nutrition Quality Remains Poor
The NFHS-6 data also examined infant nutrition after six months of age.
The percentage of children aged 6 to 8 months receiving breast milk along with solid or semi-solid foods increased from 45.9% to 59.5%, indicating better awareness about introducing complementary foods on time.
However, the quality of children’s diets remains a concern.
Only 15.3% of children between 6 and 23 months receive the minimum acceptable diet recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), showing only a slight improvement from 11% in the previous survey.
This means nearly 85% of young children still do not receive adequate nutrition in terms of food diversity and feeding frequency.
Need for Stronger Breastfeeding Policies
Arun Gupta, from the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, stressed that nearly all maternity hospitals should aim to ensure breastfeeding begins within the first hour after birth.
He also called for:
- Expanding the government’s MAA (Mothers’ Absolute Affection) programme to private hospitals.
- Strengthening breastfeeding counselling services.
- Extending maternity protection to women working in the informal sector.
- Strict enforcement of the Infant Milk Substitutes (IMS) Act to prevent aggressive marketing of infant formula.
- Improving access to nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables and eggs for families.
The Road Ahead
India has made encouraging progress in promoting breastfeeding immediately after childbirth, but sustaining exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months remains a significant public health challenge.
Experts agree that improving maternal support systems, strengthening workplace protections, expanding breastfeeding counselling and ensuring better child nutrition are essential steps toward improving infant health outcomes and reducing long-term healthcare and economic burdens.
The latest NFHS-6 findings serve as a reminder that successful breastfeeding requires continuous support—not just during delivery, but throughout a child’s earliest and most critical months of life.