61 in 1000 infants in India do not reach age of 5 yrs: Report

At an average, 61 of 1000 infants in India do not survive till their fifth birthday and 80 per cent of these deaths occur in the first two years of life, according to government figures.
These deaths occur mostly due to lack of proper infant feeding, according to the health ministry which has worked with UNICEF on the subject.
According to the latest National Family Health Survey, only 46 per cent of infants (less than six months of age) in the country are breastfed and 57 per cent (over six months of age) are fed complementary food.
About 20 per cent were fed a diet with minimum requirements in terms of feeding frequency and food diversity.

Global research has shown that optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices can reduce under five mortality by 20 per cent.
Taking cognisance of the report, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry has launched National Guidelines on infant feeding.
The guidelines stress that all healthcare providers who interact with mothers and young children should acquire the basic knowledge and skills to integrate breastfeeding, lactation management and infant and young child feeding principles that they provide on routine base.
The guidelines will help the state and district officers of the Department of Health to promote optimal feeding in the ongoing programmes for maternal, new-born and child health using three delivery platforms which include health facilities across the health system, community outreach activities and community and home-based care.