Globally, breastfeeding has the potential to prevent about 800 000 deaths among children under five each year if all children 0-23 months were optimally breastfed. Early initiation of breastfeeding could prevent about one fifth of neonatal deaths, but less than half of infants are put to the breast within one hour of birth. WHO recommends that all infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, but actual practice is low (38%). Only about half of children aged 20-23 months are breastfed despite the recommendation that breastfeeding continue for up to 2 years or beyond.
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