This paper is dedicated to ‘newly born child’ with this universal
concept ‘Breast is best'. It is fact that breast feeding in India is universal
but early breastfeeding among child is not yet universal phenomenon.
Various socio-psychosocial as well as cultural barriers still persist to early
breastfeeding. The main reasons for this practice are not clearly
explained. Hence, I tried to write this article to know breastfeeding’s
knowledge and practices among the rural-urban women of Uttar Pradesh.
I have compiled the secondary data from Reproductive and Child Health
(RCH) survey which was conducted by International Institute of
Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai and designated by Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare, New Delhi. Since the initiation of breastfeeding and
variables like understanding about the importance of colostrums, nutrition
during lactation, and motivation by the health workers were emphasized.
Most of the women started breastfeeding to their babies on the first day of
birth, but very few of them started breast feeding to their babies within 4
hours of birth. This may be the lack of knowledge about the importance of
colostrums, it is generally advised by the doctors/gynecologist to increase
their diet during lactation but respondents said that they have not
increased their diet during lactation. There is a need for Government and
non-Governmental organizations to work on this issue through
sensitization, health education, advocacy, IEC materials, advertisement,
awareness, etc.