India's Babies Get A Good First Hour, Then A Bad Six Months As Breastfeeding Rates Fall Sharply

Published 5 August 2026 · health

News lifestyle health-and-fitness India's Babies Get A Good First Hour, Then A Bad Six Months As Breastfeeding Rates Fall Sharply India's Babies Get A Good

News lifestyle health-and-fitness India's Babies Get A Good First Hour, Then A Bad Six Months As Breastfeeding Rates Fall Sharply India's Babies Get A Good First Hour, Then A Bad Six Months As Breastfeeding Rates Fall Sharply Reported By, Last Updated: August 05, 2026, 07:30 IST Mothers are starting to breastfeed more often than before, but they are not managing to keep it up once they leave the hospital The national numbers hide as much as they reveal. Behind the 7.9-point all-India decline in exclusive breastfeeding is a country splitting in two directions at once. Representational image India has become better at starting breastfeeding and worse at sustaining it, the latest Family Health Survey shows, a gap that is not just a health statistic. It is a drag on the economy, estimated at $14.5 billion a year in lost productivity and healthcare costs, according to a study published in PLOS ONE. The NFHS-6 headline number on breastfeeding looks like good news. Early initiation, the share of newborns put to the breast within an hour of birth, has climbed from 41.8% to 50.1% since the last round. Set beside it is a harder number. Exclusive breastfeeding among infants under six months, the single most protective step against diarrhoea and pneumonia that kill young children in India, has fallen from 63.7% to 55.8%. Read together, the two numbers describe a very specific failure. Mothers are starting to breastfeed more often than before. They are not managing to keep it up once they leave the hospital. “The increase in early initiation of breastfeeding is encouraging because it shows that delivery-room practices have improved," said Dr Neelam Mohan, president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics. “However, the drop in exclusive breastfeeding suggests that once mothers return home, they are not receiving enough support." Mohan, director, paediatrics, at Medanta, pointed to a specific pattern in her own clinical experience: many mothers manage exclusive breastfeeding in the first few weeks, then lose the routine once they resume work or lose structured postnatal contact.

Similarly, Dr Naveen Thacker, executive director of the International Paediatric Association, traced the same drop-off to the days right after discharge. “Sustaining exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months remains a challenge," he said. “Once mothers leave the health facility, many face limited support, workplace pressures, and inconsistent counselling." He flagged one group as particularly exposed: mothers of preterm or low-birth-weight babies and those who had caesarean deliveries, who need more support than the system currently gives them. C-Section jump & working mothers’ dilemma That last detail matters more than it might first appear. Caesarean deliveries in India have risen from 21.5% to 27.2% between the two survey rounds, a shift associated with delayed skin-to-skin contact and a slower start to milk supply. Layered on top of that, more than 90% of working Indian women are in the informal sector, entirely outside the reach of the country’s 26-week paid maternity leave law. For most new mothers, there is no statutory protection waiting for them when the si week or si month mark arrives. Whatever breastfeeding support exists has to survive without it. “India already has strong policies and programmes in place. The priority now is to ensure every mother receives quality lactation counselling before discharge from hospital, strengthen initiatives like the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, and provide continued support in the workplace, home, and community," Thacker added. State-wise data shows two tales The national numbers hide as much as they reveal. Behind the 7.9-point all-India decline in exclusive breastfeeding is a country splitting in two directions at once. Kerala posted the country’s strongest gain, up 17.2 points to 72.7%, now the highest rate in India. Sikkim moved even further, up 21.3 points to 49.6%, the single largest jump in the survey.