breastfeeding stats by country

Percentage of newborns put to breast within 1 hour of birth, 2005-2009, from Childinfo

What is the status of breastfeeding around the world? UNICEF sponsored Childinfo gives us statistics on breastfeeding in 89 different countries, from Algeria to Zimbabwe.

Interesting note: The United States, Canada and the European countries are missing from the statistics.

The statistics are encouraging. Look at the rate increase of women who exclusively breastfed:

From Childinfo

A global look: Percentage of infants under the age of six months who exclusively breastfed, 2005-2009:

From Childinfo

According to Childinfo:

Less than 60 per cent of children 6–9 months old receive solid, semi-solid or soft foods while being breastfed. An important issue is that the quality of the food received is often inadequate and does not provide sufficient protein, fat or micronutrients for optimal growth and development. Meeting the needs for the minimum required dietary quality is a challenge in much of the developing world, and this has often not been given enough emphasis. Apart from the quality of the food itself, children may not receive complementary foods at the right age (often either too early or too late), or may not be fed frequently enough during the day. New programming options are now available to meet the challenge.

Let's hope that the increase of breastfeeding continues around the world.