ABSTRACT
Objective: Promoting breastfeeding is major maternal and child health goal in India. It is unclear whether
mothers receive additional food needed to support healthy breastfeeding.
Methods: Using the latest National Family and Health Survey (2005–2006), we applied multilevel linear
regression models to document correlates of nutrition for (n = 20,764) breastfeeding women. We then
compared consumption of pulses, eggs, meat, fish, dairy, fruit, and vegetables across a sample of
breastfeeding, non-breastfeeding/pregnant (NBP), and pregnant women (n = 3,409)matched within households
and five-year age bands. We tested whether breastfeeding women had greater advantages in the
18 high-focus states of India’s National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Results: Vegetarianism, caste, and religion were the strongest predictors of breastfeeding women’s nutrition.
Breastfeeding women had no nutritional advantage compared to NBP women, and were
disadvantaged in their consumption of milk (b = ?0.14) in low-focus states. Pregnant women were similarly
disadvantaged in their consumption of milk in low-focus states (b = ?0.32), but consumed vegetables
more frequently (b = 0.12) than NBP women in high-focus states.
Conclusions: Breastfeeding women do not receive nutritional advantages compared to NBP women. Targeted
effort is needed to assess and improve nutritional adequacy for breastfeeding Indian women.