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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Breastfeeding can cut child deaths, save Rs 4k crore per year -Himanshi Dhawan

Breastfeeding can cut child deaths, save Rs 4k crore per year -Himanshi Dhawan

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published Published on Feb 15, 2016   modified Modified on Feb 15, 2016
-The Times of India

NEW DELHI: While the enormous health benefits of universal and sustained breastfeeding of children are well known, new evidence suggests that there is a significant economic cost as well. Research by medical journal Lancet reports a loss of $0.6285 billion or about Rs 4,300 crore annually. Not just that. If India were to universalise breastfeeding in the coming years, it could reduce 13% of all under-5 deaths (1,56,000 child deaths), 39,00,000 episodes of diarrhoea, 34,36,560 episodes of pneumonia and 7,000 deaths due to breast cancer annually.

NFHS 4 data for 15 states shows India is just an average performer by this parameter. Though institutional deliveries have risen to 82.2%, initiation of breastfeeding is stagnant at 47.7% while exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of child is only little higher at 57.5%.

India has a national law - Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act - that has placed restrictions on sales of milk substitutes. However, there has been very little awareness created on the benefits of breastfeeding over the years.

According to Dr Arun Gupta from the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, the law needs to be enforced more effectively and adequate maternity protection including nine months of paid maternity leave must be introduced.


The Lancet study found that cognitive losses associated with "not'' breastfeeding, which impact earning potential, amount to $302 billion worldwide annually. Extensive marketing by formula makers remains a big barrier to increase the number of breastfed children. Low and middle-income countries lose more than $70 billion annually, while high-income countries lose more than $230 billion annually due to low rates of breastfeeding.

The health benefits extend to the mother as well, with reductions in risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Based on all the existing research and according to new estimates created for this report, rise in breastfeeding could prevent extra 20,000 deaths from breast cancer each year globally. For India, considering the 7% protection provided by breastfeeding, it translates to preventing 4,915 deaths annually out of 70,000 deaths that occur now.

India has estimated obesity of 20% and breastfeeding provides 26% protection. Increasing breastfeeding could therefore provide 5.2 % reduction in obesity. This could be a useful addition to the effort towards control of non-communicable diseases.


The Times of India, 15 February, 2016, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Breastfeeding-can-cut-child-deaths-save-Rs-4k-crore-per-year/articleshow/50989304.cms


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