The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children in developing countries should be exclusively breastfed up to 4 6 months of age. According to NFHS-1 results, both exclusive and nonexclusive (with supplements) breastfeeding lower mortality during early infancy. A surprising finding is that breastfeeding with supplements is more beneficial than exclusive breastfeeding, even for children at very young ages (less that four months). The reason appears to be that mothers who are poorly nourished and in poor health themselves may not provide adequate breast milk for their growing infants.

The NFHS Subject Reports is a series summarizing secondary analysis of data from the 1992-93 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in India. The NFHS collected information from nearly 90,000 Indian women on a range of demographic and health topics. Conducted under the auspices of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the survey provides national and state-level estimates of fertility, infant and child mortality, family planning practice, maternal and child health, and the utilization of services available to mothers and children. IIPS conducted the survey in cooperation with consulting organizations and 18 population research centers throughout India. The East-West Center and a U.S.-based consulting firm, Macro International, provided technical assistance, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided financial support.

Printed copies are available from the East-West Center Research Program, Population and Health Studies. Single copies are available free by airmail and may be reproduced for educational use.