1. MICS3 Data Analysis and Report Writing
Breastfeeding
MICS3 Data Analysis and Report Writing

2. Background
Breastmilk alone contains all the nutrients, antibodies, hormones and antioxidants an infant needs to thrive.
Breastmilk protects babies from diarrhea and acute respiratory infections, stimulates their immune systems and response to vaccination, and, according to some studies, confers cognitive benefits as well.
Continued breastfeeding to two years, accompanied by appropriate complementary feeding, maintains good nutritional status and continues to help prevent diarrhea.

3. International Goals & Targets
To protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continued breastfeeding with safe, appropriate and adequate complementary feeding up to 2 years of age and beyond

4. WHO/UNICEF Feeding Recommendations
Background
WHO/UNICEF Feeding Recommendations
Exclusive breastfeeding for first six months
Continued breastfeeding for two years or more
Safe, appropriate and adequate complementary
foods beginning at 6 months
Frequency of complementary feeding: 2 times
per day for 6-8 month olds; 3 times per day for
9-11 month olds

5. Recommended Breastfeeding Patterns
Background
Recommended Breastfeeding Patterns

6. List of Indicators
Exclusive breastfeeding rate (< 6 mos. & < 4 mos.)
Timely complementary feeding rate (6-9 mos.)
Continued breastfeeding rate (12-15 & mos.)
Timely initiation of breastfeeding (within 1 hour of birth)
Frequency of complementary feeding (6-11 mos.)
Adequately fed infants (0-11 mos.)

7. Definition of Indicator
Exclusive Breastfeeding (< 6 months)
Percentage of infants exclusively breastfed for
the first six (or four) months of life
Numerator:
Number of infants aged 0-5 (or 0-3) months exclusively
breastfed
Denominator:
Number of infants aged 0-5 (or 0-3) months surveyed

8. Methodological Issues
“Current status approach” is used to calculate
indicators – asks about feeding status within
24 hours of the survey. Caretakers asked the
following for each child under five:
- Whether child was ever and is currently breastfed
- What liquids or foods child was fed in preceding 24 hours
- How many times child was given non-liquid foods in 24 hours prior
to interview
Precision of indicators poor - Numbers of children in
age ranges of interest (< 4 mos., < 6 mos. , 6-9
mos., mos., mos.) are likely to be
small; precision of indicators lower than others

9. Methodological Issues
Exclusive breastfeeding refers to infants who
receive only breastmilk, or breastmilk and
vitamins, mineral supplements or medicine

10. Table NU.3: Breastfeeding
Tabulation Plan
Table NU.3: Breastfeeding

11. Regional Exclusive BF

12. Exclusive BF (ROSA)

13. % infants exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life
Exclusive BF (WCARO)
% infants
exclusively
breastfed
for the
first 6 months
of life

14. % infants exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life
Exclusive BF (TACRO)
% infants
exclusively
breastfed
for the
first 6 months
of life

15. % infants exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life
Exclusive BF (EAPRO)
% infants
exclusively
breastfed
for the
first 6 months
of life

16. % infants exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life
Exclusive BF (ESARO)
% infants
exclusively
breastfed
for the
first 6 months
of life

17. Exclusive BF (CEE/CIS)
% infants
exclusively
breastfed
for the
first 6 months
of life

18. % infants exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life
Exclusive BF (MENA)
% infants
exclusively
breastfed
for the
first 6 months
of life

19. Definition of Indicator
Timely Complementary Feeding (6-9 mos.)
Percentage of infants aged 6-9 months that are
receiving breastmilk and complementary food
Numerator:
Number of infants aged 6-9 months that are receiving
breastmilk and complementary food
Denominator:
Number of infants aged 6-9 months surveyed

20. Methodological Issues
Complementary feeding refers to children who
receive breastmilk and solid or semi-solid food

21. Regional Complementary Feeding Coverage

22. Complementary Feeding 6-9 months (CEE/CIS)
% infants aged 6-9 months who are breastfed with complementary food

23. Complementary Feeding 6-9 months (EAPRO)
% infants aged 6-9 months who are breastfed with complementary food

24. Complementary Feeding 6-9 months (WCARO)
% infants aged 6-9 months who are breastfed with complementary food

25. Complementary Feeding 6-9 months (ESARO)
% infants aged 6-9 months who are breastfed with complementary food

26. Complementary Feeding 6-9 months (TACRO)
% infants aged 6-9 months who are breastfed with complementary food

27. Complementary Feeding 6-9 months (MENA)
% infants aged 6-9 months who are breastfed with complementary food

28. Complementary Feeding 6-9 months (ROSA)
% infants aged 6-9 months who are breastfed with complementary food

29. Definition of Indicator
Continued Breastfeeding (12-15 & mos.)
Percentage of infants aged and 20-23
months who are currently breastfeeding
Numerator:
Number of infants aged or months who are
currently breastfeeding
Denominator:
Number of infants aged or months surveyed

30. Regional Continued BF Coverage

31. Continued breastfeeding (CEE/CIS)
% infants
still
breastfeeding
(20-23 months)

32. Continued breastfeeding (ESARO)
% infants
still
breastfeeding
(20-23 months)

33. Continued breastfeeding (WCARO)
% infants
still
breastfeeding
(20-23 months)

34. Continued breastfeeding (EAPRO)
% infants
still
breastfeeding
(20-23 months)

35. Continued breastfeeding (ROSA)
% infants
still
breastfeeding
(20-23 months)

36. Continued breastfeeding (MENA)
% infants
still
breastfeeding
(20-23 months)

37. Continued breastfeeding (TACRO)
% infants
still
breastfeeding
(20-23 months)

38. Definition of Indicator
Timely Initiation of Breastfeeding
(within 1 hour of birth)
Percentage of women that initiated
breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth
Numerator:
Number of women with a live birth in the 2 years prior to
the survey that put the newborn infant to the breast within
one hour of birth
Denominator:
Number of women surveyed with a live birth in the 2 years
prior to the survey

39. Methodological Issues
Initial breastfeeding (within 1 hour of birth) has
a denominator of women surveyed having a live
birth within the 2 years prior to the survey

40. Table NU.2: Initial Breastfeeding
Tabulation Plan
Table NU.2: Initial Breastfeeding

41. Definition of Indicator
Frequency of Complementary Feeding
(6-11 mos)
Percentage of infants aged 6-11 months receiving
breastmilk and complementary feeding at least the
recommended number of times per day
Numerator:
Number of infants aged 6-11 months receiving
breastmilk and complementary feeding at least the
recommended number of times per day (2 times per day
for infants aged 6-8 mos.; 3 times for those 9-11 mos.)
Denominator:
Number of infants aged 6-11 months surveyed

42. Definition of Indicator
Adequately Fed Infants (0-11 mos.)
Percentage of infants aged 0-11 months that are appropriately fed
Numerator:
Number of infants aged 0-11 months that are
appropriately fed: infants aged 0-5 months that are
exclusively breastfed and infants aged 6-11 months
that are breastfed and ate solid or semi-solid foods the appropriate number of times yesterday
Denominator:
Number of infants aged 0-11 months surveyed

43. Table NU.4: Adequately Fed Infants
Tabulation Plan
Table NU.4: Adequately Fed Infants

44. Infant Feeding Patterns

45. Infant Feeding Patterns

46. Infant Feeding Patterns

47. Infant Feeding Patterns

48. Table NU.3W: Infant Feeding Patterns by Age
Tabulation Plan
Table NU.3W: Infant Feeding Patterns by Age