Social dimensions of breastfeeding: Impact on achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in developing countries

The association between duration of breastfeeding and child survival is strong and positive. Breastfeeding together is one of the most effective cross-cutting interventions to achieve all eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Breast milk provides a child with adequate nutrient intake and immunologic defense, as well as helps to regulate birth-spacing. With benefits of breastfeeding well documented, many of the developing countries still continue to report lower levels of breastfeeding. These lead to recurrent diarrhea, Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI), and other infections resulting poor nutritional status of children.

The objectives of this study are two fold. The first is to determine the impact of social economic determinants on duration of breastfeeding across low income countries. The second is to recommend some policy actions that would enhance complementarity in the roles of breastfeeding on one hand and its role in accelerating achievement of child health related MDGs. The study is based on 24 low-income countries where Demographic and Health Survey data are available for the year 2005 and beyond. Ordinary least squares is used to predict breastfeeding length using socio-economic variables (wealth quintiles, maternal education, and female autonomy). Length of breastfeeding is the response variable while control variables include age, sex of the child, and use of antenatal services. Preliminary results show that length of breastfeeding is strongly associated with use of antenatal services, and women's autonomy. Positive breastfeeding campaigns can accelerate achievement of MDGs especially among countries struggling to achieve child health related MDGs.