OPTIMAL BREASTFEEDING OF INFANTS UNDER SIX MONTHS OF AGE IN BURKINA FASO : REGIONAL VARIATION AND SOURCES OF CHANGE.

Ousmane OO Ouédraogo, Institut Supérieur des Sciences de La Population de L’Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo
Bilampoa Gnoumou Thiombiano, Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo

The first six months of life are a critical period for infants. In many contexts, nutritional practices for this age group do not meet the norm, despite international initiatives. In Burkina Faso, according to the 2021 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 51.3% and 60.3% of infants under six months of age were exclusively and early breastfed respectively. This study aims to understand the influence of place of residence and family on optimal breastfeeding (combining early and exclusive breastfeeding) in Burkina Faso. The study concerned 0-23 month olds. The DHS and the National Nutrition Survey were used as the database. Descriptive analysis by region and simple decomposition were used. The main results show that the North region is experiencing the greatest decline in optimal breastfeeding. The proportion of infants under six months of age who benefited from optimal breastfeeding fell from 10.4% to 9.8% between 2010 and 2021. The composition effect through household structure has largely contributed to the decline in optimal breastfeeding. Extended households have contributed most to this decline.

Keywords: Health and Morbidity, Mortality and Longevity, Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Data and Methods

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