PDF, 1536K - Measure DHS

INFANT FEEDING AND CHILDHOOD
AND MATERNAL NUTRITION
11
The Ethiopia DHS included questions about the nutritional status of children and their mothers,
including infant feeding practices, breastfeeding duration and intensity, types of complementary foods
given, and whether or not a bottle with a nipple was used. To assess the current nutritional status of all
children under age five and women age 15-49, anthropometric (height and weight) data were also
collected.
Maternal nutritional status has important implications for the health of mothers and children.
Women in poor nutritional health face a greater risk of an adverse pregnancy and are more likely to give
birth to children who are not healthy.
Infant feeding practices are important determinants of children’s nutritional status, and many
studies have shown that breastfeeding has beneficial effects on the nutritional status of children and
lowers morbidity and mortality among young children. Breastfeeding is also associated with longer
periods of postpartum amenorrhea, which could extend birth intervals and lower fertility. A longer birth
interval also provides mothers with the opportunity to fully recover before the next pregnancy and avert
maternal depletion.
11.1 INITIATION OF BREASTFEEDING
Table 11.1 shows the percentage of children born in the five years before the survey by
breastfeeding status and the timing of initial breastfeeding, by background characteristics. Breastfeeding
is nearly universal in Ethiopia, with 96 percent of children born in the five years preceding the survey
having been breastfed at some time. There are no substantial variations by background characteristics
in the percentage of children ever breastfed.
The early initiation of breastfeeding is important for a number of reasons. Early suckling benefits
mothers because it stimulates breast milk production and releases a hormone that helps the uterus to
contract and reduce postpartum blood loss. The first breast milk contains colostrum, which is highly
nutritious and has antibodies that protect the newborn from diseases. Early initiation of breastfeeding
fosters bonding between mother and child. One in two children are breastfed within one hour of birth,
and nearly three in four within one day of birth. Fifty-eight percent of children are not given the first
milk.
There is little difference in the timing of initial breastfeeding by gender of the child. However,
rural children are more likely than urban children to start breastfeeding within one hour of birth, as are
children born in the Harari Region compared with the other regions. Nine in ten children living in the
SNNP Region start breastfeeding within one day of birth, in contrast to one in two children from the
Amhara Region. Mothers with little or no education are more likely than highly educated mothers to
put their newborn to the breast within the first hour of birth. Early initiation of breastfeeding is also
more common among children who received no assistance at delivery and children born at home.
Infant Feeding and Childhood and Maternal Nutrition * 141