Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure children's health and survival. However, nearly two out of three infants are not exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life as recommended, a rate that has not improved in two decades.
Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean, and contains antibodies that help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one-third during the second year of life. Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese, and are less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
This visualization presents key indicators related to exclusive breastfeeding by sex in countries of the Americas: 1) the percentage of infants exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life, disaggregated by specific ages (0-1 months, 2-3 months, and 4-5 months; 2) early initiation of breastfeeding, expressed as the percentage of children breastfed in the first hours and days of life; and 3) the continued breastfeeding in children aged 12 to 23 months.