Barriers to meeting the Global Nutrition Target 2025 for Exclusive Breastfeeding: an analysis of three decades (1990, 2000, 2010) in six Latin American and Caribbean countries

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization set a global nutrition target to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among infants younger than 6 months to at least 50% by the year 2025. Yet, the early introduction of solid food (before 6 months of age) occurs in approximately one in three infants, making it a major barrier to EBF. The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of the early introduction of foods offered to infant under the age of six months in Latin American and Caribbean countries in the last three decades (1990, 2000,2010).Method: This is a time series study with data from Demographic and Health Surveys carried out between 1990 and 2017 in six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Bolivia (1994 to 2008); Colombia (1995 to 2010), Guatemala (1995 to 2015), Haiti (1994/1995 to 2016/2017), Peru (1996 to 2012) and the Dominican Republic (1996 to 2013). The total sample consisted of 20,633 infants under the age of six months. Surveys were grouped in three decades as following: 1990s for surveys from 1990 to 1999; 2000s for surveys from 2000 to 2009; and 2010s for surveys from 2010 to 2017. EBF, predominant breastfeeding (PBF), mixed breastfeeding (mixed BF), supplemented breastfeeding (supplemented BF) and non-breastfeeding (non-BF), and individual foods (water, liquids, milk, formula and semi-solid/solid) were analyzed. Mean prevalence rates of breastfeeding and food indicators were calculated for all countries, according to monthly age groups and decade of survey.Results: Between 1990s and 2010s, there was an increase in the mean prevalence of EBF (38.6% and 46.2%, respectively) and a reduction in the mean prevalence of PBF (50.8% and 43.0%, respectively). There was a reduction in the means of liquids (1990s=40.4%,2010s=15.9%) and milk (1990s=20.3%,2010s=8.4%) and an increase in water (1990s=31.7%,2010s=37.5%), and formula (1990s=16.4%, 2010s=25.8%).Conclusions: In the last three decades, n all age groups, there was an increase in the prevalence of EBF, as well as a significant reduction in fluids and milk. The increased supply of water and infant formula are the main barriers to achieving the Global Nutrition Target 2025 for EBF.

Examining the prevalence and determinants of early initiation of breastfeeding: Evidence from the 2017/2018 Benin demographic and health survey

“…The prevalence of EIBF in SSA is as low as 36.3% in Gambia and as high as 87.3% in Burundi [ 14 ]. Globally, there have been efforts to improve EIBF through the Sustainable Development Goals, the Innocenti Declaration as well as the Global Nutrition Targets 2025 which seek to increase global rates of exclusive breastfeeding and early initiation of breastfeeding to at least 50% by 2025 [ 15 ].…”