Breastfeeding : a report on A.I.D. programs

child survival programs, but not generally as a major focus. This is partly due to the erroneous assumption that, since breastfeeding is universal, mothers require little assistance in developing specific breastfeeding skills and practices. This report highlights some of the major breastfeeding activities supported by A.I.D. over the past decade. These activities show not only that breastfeeding is a key to child survival, but that proven and cost-effective interventions exist for its promotion and support. For example, the Improvement of Maternal and Infant Diet Project supported the San Diego-based Wellstart lactation management program, which trained key health care professionals and promoted reforms in hospital practices at a cost of pennies per mother-child pair. Other projects have explored such interventions as breastfeeding promotion through mass media and social marketing, mother-to-mother support groups, curriculum development, data collection, and information exchange. In addition, A.I.D.-assisted research has helped clarify the determinants of breastfeeding, its value in protecting against diarrhea and other infections, and its importance as a natural family planning technique. The final section of the report summarizes A.I.D. "s recent Breastfeeding for Child Survival Strategy (PN-ABG-518), aimed at strengthening breastfeeding promotion within child survival, health, population, and nutrition programs at both the central and field levels.