Maternal, newborn, child & adolescent health

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Indicators

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Indicator Metadata Registry List
Indicator name:
Early initiation of breastfeeding (%)
Short name:
Early initiation of breastfeeding
Data type:
Percent
Indicator Id:
337
Topic:
Risk factors
Rationale:
Early initiation of breastfeeding, within one hour of birth, protects the newborn from acquiring infection and reduces newborn mortality. It facilitates emotional bonding of the mother and the baby and has a positive impact on duration of exclusive breastfeeding. When a mother initiates breastfeeding within one hour after birth, production of breast milk is stimulated. The yellow or golden first milk produced in the first days, also called colostrum, is an important source of nutrition and immune protection for the newborn.  
Definition:
Proportion of children born in the last 24 months who were put to the breast within one hour of birth
Disaggregation:
Sex, Location (urban/rural), Boundaries : Administrative regions, Boundaries : Health regions
Method of measurement
Female survey respondents are asked about their youngest living child aged less than 24 months who is currently living with the respondent. The numerator and denominator include living and deceased children who were born within the past 24 months.
M&E Framework:
Outcome
Method of estimation:
Data compiled from household surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS).  
Method of estimation of global and regional aggregates:
 Population-weighted average
Other possible data sources:
Facility reporting system
Preferred data sources:
Household surveys
Unit of Measure:
N/A
Expected frequency of data dissemination:
Annual
Expected frequency of data collection:
Every 3-5 years
For questions or more information, please contact mncahdata@who.int.