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Home » DHS-8 Questionnaire Review - Archived » Core questionnaire: Nutrition » Non-breastfed indicator (Infant and young child feeding)
Non-breastfed indicator [message #16888] Wed, 13 March 2019 06:28 Go to next message
Marie McGrath is currently offline  Marie McGrath
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Registered: March 2019
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I propose a 'non-breastfed' indicator is included as a standard indicator in DHS. This should be reported for infants at six months of age, at 1 year and at 2 years. The current indicators are designed to describe the attributes of a breastfeeding population. However, it is also critical to know what proportion of infants are not breastfed in a population. This is a particular issue that has compromised humanitarian responses in countries where BMS use is more common, such as in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Operational guidance on infant feeding in emergencies, endorsed by the World Health Assembly, recommends that non-breastfed infants also need protection and support. Lack of DHS data to help quantify the caseload for targeted support greatly impedes planning and means these high risk infants lack visibility. While continued breastfeeding rate at 1 year and 2 years of age provides this information indirectly, it is rarely interpreted as such but only in breastfed infant terms. Also, there is often misinterpretation of the exclusive breastfeeding indicator amongst non-IYCF specialists, whereby 'not exclusively breastfed' is interpreted as 'not breastfed'. Including a non-breastfed indicator would help correct this. Data to calculate a non-breastfed indicator will already be available from what is currently routinely collected. So the request is just to calculate and present the indicator.

To declare my interest and experience in this, ENN coordinates an international interagency collaboration on infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IFE Core Group), since 2004 and manage the development and support uptake of the Operational Guidance referred to above. We closely engage with operational partners on the realities of implementation and act to advocate on and address critical gaps.
Re: Non-breastfed indicator [message #16961 is a reply to message #16888] Thu, 14 March 2019 12:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Hatty Barthorp is currently offline  Hatty Barthorp
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GOAL would support the inclusion of this indicator to provide greater clarity around prevalence's within different age groups explicitly non-BF. Understanding this will support program planning for both infants <6mth and older children who are not accessing breast milk resources to supplement their daily diets.
Re: Non-breastfed indicator [message #17029 is a reply to message #16888] Fri, 15 March 2019 07:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Marie McGrath is currently offline  Marie McGrath
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Registered: March 2019
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To clarify my original posting on non-breastfed indicator. Data on non-breastfed infants is collected currently in DHS. However countries can opt on whether to report it or not. I suggest that it is included as a core indicator that is standard/mandatory to report by all.
Re: Non-breastfed indicator [message #17312 is a reply to message #17029] Fri, 15 March 2019 17:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
SafelyFed Canada is currently offline  SafelyFed Canada
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SafelyFed Canada is a national Canadian not-for-profit organization with the aim of improving the preparedness and response to the nutrition needs of infants and young children in emergencies. SafelyFed Canada supports the inclusion of a core indicator for non-breastfed at 6 months, 1 year and at 2 years.
Re: Non-breastfed indicator [message #17428 is a reply to message #16888] Sat, 16 March 2019 00:00 Go to previous message
Olutayo
Messages: 12
Registered: March 2019
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Given that this indicator can be derived through analysis of data already collected and the information is quite useful, I support its inclusion in DHS
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