NSU Research Contributions
Title : Infant and young child feeding practices and factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among ultra-poor slum mothers of Bangladesh
Authors : Munia Afroz, Fahmida Akter, Mohammad Delwer Hossain Hawlader, Md. Mokbul Hossain, M Shafiqur Rahman, Bachera Aktar, Mehedi Hasan, Abu Abdullah Mohammad Hanif, Abdul Awal, and Malay Kanti Mridha
| Journal Article Title: Nutrition and Health | Volume Number: 32 | Publication Year : 2025 | Issue Number: 3 |
| Index: scopus | Ranking: Q3 | Publisher Name: SAGE Publications) | |
| Pages : 10 | |||
| Funding Source : None |
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Direct Sustainable Development Goals : SDG3 Good Health & Well-being |
Indirect Sustainable Development Goals : SDG1 No Poverty SDG11 Sustainable Cities & Communities |
Sustainable Development Sub Goals : End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health and well-being Achieve universal health coverage Eradicate extreme poverty |
| Impact statement: This cross-sectional study of 682 ultra-poor mothers in the urban slums of Dhaka and Saidpur reveals that while nearly all children are breastfed, significant gaps remain in optimal feeding practices. Although 89.4% of newborns initiated breastfeeding within the first hour, exclusive breastfeeding for infants under six months remains at only 63.5%, and bottle-feeding is alarmingly high at 34.2%. Crucially, the research identifies cesarean delivery as a major barrier to early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF), while mothers with two or more live births showed higher confidence and success in EIBF. These findings serve as a vital call for policymakers to implement context-specific nutrition education and "baby-friendly" hospital initiatives to reduce unnecessary C-sections and improve the long-term health outcomes of Bangladesh's most vulnerable urban children. | Collaboration: Partner University | Keywords: Infant and young child feeding practice, early initiation of breastfeeding, ultra-poor, urban slums, Bangladesh, mother–infant |
