| Indicator Name | % of infants 0–5 months of age who were fed exclusively with breast milk during the first 6 months of life |
|---|---|
| Indicator ID in PRIME | IN00040830 |
Definition
| Definition | This indicator measures the percentage of infants 0–5 months of age who were fed exclusively with breast milk during the previous day. Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as breastfeeding with no other food or drink, not even water. Breastfeeding by a wet nurse, feeding of expressed breast milk, and feeding of donor human milk all count as being fed breast milk. Prescribed medicines, oral rehydration solution, vitamins, and minerals are not counted as fluids or foods. However, herbal fluids and similar traditional medicines are counted as fluids, and infants who consume these are not exclusively breastfed. |
|---|---|
| Numerator | Infants 0–5 months of age who were fed exclusively with breast milk during the previous day. |
| Denominator | Infants 0–5 months of age. |
Recommended Means of Verification
The questionnaire of Indicators for Assessing Infant and Young Children Feeding Practices (IYCF WHO/UNICEF 2021) is used to collect the relevant data by conducting individual interviews with mothers of (a representative sample of) children aged 0 - 5 months.
Answers to questions 6 and 7 about liquids and foods, respectively, that the child consumed yesterday in the daytime or at night (6A-6J and 7A-7R) should all be "no" for infants to be included in the numerator, and question 4 (“Was [NAME] breastfed yesterday during the day or at night?”) should be “yes”.
Indicator Attributes
| Indicator Prioritisation | Global Indicator |
|---|---|
| Level of Indicator | Outcome |
| Indicator Context Type | Quantitative |
| Theme | Health & Nutrition |
| Sub Theme | Child Sensitive Social Protection, Mother Infant Child Nutrition |
| Common Approach | Nourishing the Youngest (Infant and Young Child Feeding), Resourcing Families for Better Nutrition |
| Context | Development |
Measurement Guidance
| Frequency of Data Collection | Annually |
|---|---|
| Unit of Measure | Individual |
| Data Format | Percent |
| Direction of Desired Change | Increasing |
| Number of Decimal Points | Zero |
| Nature | Cumulative |
| Recommended Disaggregations | Gender |
Tools
| Kobo | SURV_HN_TOOL FOR ASSESSING IYCF PRACTICES_En_2022_01 | KoboToolbox (savethechildren.net) |
|---|---|
| Kobo Form Questions | Question 4, Questions 6A-6Jswt, Questions 7A-7R |
| Other Survey Tool |
Indicators for Assessing Infant and Young Children Feeding Practices (WHO/UNICEF 2021): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240018389