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Can improvements in breast-feeding practices reduce neonatal mortality in developing countries?
S L Huffman1, E R Zehner, C Victora
1Ready to Learn, Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20009, USA.
Insights
Early and exclusive breastfeeding significantly reduces neonatal mortality by preventing hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and infections. Promoting these practices is crucial for newborn survival, especially in developing countries.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Health
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Neonatal mortality remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in developing nations.
- Infant feeding practices are critical determinants of newborn survival rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize existing literature on the association between early-life breastfeeding practices and neonatal mortality.
- To identify key breastfeeding behaviors that impact neonatal survival.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of Medline and Cochrane databases.
- Keywords included breastfeeding, neonatal mortality, colostrum, and infant feeding practices.
- Focused on studies relevant to developing countries and specific neonatal morbidities.
Main Results:
- Breastfeeding, including colostrum intake, protects newborns from hypothermia and hypoglycemia, major causes of early neonatal death.
- Exclusive breastfeeding offers protection against infections like sepsis and respiratory tract infections, prevalent causes of late neonatal mortality.
- Delayed initiation and non-exclusive breastfeeding are common in developing countries, despite high overall breastfeeding rates.
Conclusions:
- Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding are vital interventions for reducing neonatal mortality.
- Maternity care policies and staff training can promote optimal breastfeeding practices.
- Community-based support and emphasis in public health programs are essential for encouraging breastfeeding and improving neonatal outcomes.
Objective:
to review the literature on the relationship between breast-feeding practices in the first month of life and neonatal mortality.
Methods:
Medline and Cochrane databases were searched using the keywords breastfeeding, and neonatal mortality, supplemented with additional searches using the keywords developing countries, colostrum, infant feeding and infant mortality, hypoglaecemia, hypothermia, breastfeeding practices, and suckling.
Findings:
breast feeding helps prevent hypothermia and hypoglycaemia in newborn babies, which are contributory causes of early neonatal deaths especially among low birth weight and premature babies. During the late neonatal period, most deaths in developing countries are due to infections such as sepsis, acute respiratory tract infection, meningitis, omphalitis and diarrhoea. Feeding colostrum and breast feeding, especially exclusive breast feeding, protects against such deaths.
Key Conclusions And Implications For Practice:
in most developing countries, nearly all women breast feed in the first month of life, but often breast feeding is delayed beyond the first hour after birth, and exclusive breast feeding is not usually practised. Policies and training of staff of maternity centres and hospitals can encourage early initiation of breast feeding and exclusive breast feeding. Midwives can support community-based efforts to support exclusive breast feeding. Breast feeding plays an important role in reducing neonatal mortality and should be strongly emphasised by programmes attempting to reduce neonatal mortality.