Recent data reveals a concerning drop in exclusive breastfeeding rates for newborns to six-month-old infants in Bangladesh. Citing a recent study, the Bangladesh Neonatal Forum (BNF) reported that only 49% of babies now receive mother’s milk during their first six months of life – a trend posing significant health risks for children.
BNF revealed these concerning findings during a press conference at the National Press Club on Wednesday, held to mark World Breastfeeding Week 2025.
BNF Secretary General Professor Mujibur Rahman presented stark data showing exclusive breastfeeding rates for infants under six months have dropped from 64% in 2011 to just 55% in 2022 – a 9 percentage point decline in a decade.
More recent surveys across eight divisions indicate only 49% of infants now receive breastmilk in their first six months of life. “When exclusive breastfeeding decreases, we see rising risks of malnutrition, diarrheoa, pneumonia and respiratory illnesses in children,” warned Rahman, emphasising that delaying breastfeeding initiation in the first hour after birth multiplies mortality risks.
The forum identified several key factors driving this dangerous trend: Persistent cultural myths, inadequate workplace support for working mothers, aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes, and poor enforcement of existing regulations.
Dhaka Journalists’ Union General Secretary Khurshid Alam criticized the growing 1990s-era “modernity” trend that pushes mothers toward powdered milk formulas, while lamenting that the Health Ministry’s efforts remain limited to token annual campaigns without sustained year-round action.
Daily Jayay Din Special Correspondent AKM Sakhawat Hossain highlighted the implementation gap, stating “Bangladesh has laws – just no enforcement,” referencing existing but ignored provisions for criminal charges against doctors who improperly promote formula milk.
BNF Advisor Professor Sufia Khatun outlined urgent corrective measures needed: extending paid maternity leave to six months in the private sector, establishing mandatory breastfeeding corners in hospitals, implementing stricter advertising controls on breastmilk substitutes, and launching comprehensive prenatal nutrition education programmes.
The press conference was attended by prominent child health experts including BNF President Professor Md Mahbubul Haque, former president Professor Md Monir Hossain, and BPS President Professor Laila Arjumand Banu.