Weaning Initiation Patterns and Subsequent Linear Growth Progression among Children Aged 2-4 Years in India: Does the Universal Breastfeeding Policy Apply to India?

Sabu S. Padmadas, University of Groningen
Inge Hutter, University of Groningen

Reliance on full breastfeeding alone for a longer time could have deleterious nutritional and health implications at later stages of children's life. We investigated the association between timing of weaning and stunting of children in India, using the data from National Family Health Survey, 1992-93. Logistic analyses were employed on a pooled data comprising of one state each from 6 regions of India (N=6285) with height status of children aged 2-4 years as the dependent variable. Timing of weaning was considered the independent variable. Children weaned at age 6 months and after 6 months were more likely to be stunted at later ages compared with those weaned before 6 months (p < 0.001). Stunting appeared to be considerably lower for children weaned at age 3 months. Weaning effects on stunting attenuated but persisted with statistical significance in similar directions even after controlling for important demographic, health and social variables.