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Ammon News - Jordan's exclusive breastfeeding rate is at 24 percent for two- to three-month-old infants, falling below the 34-percent regional average, the Higher Population Council (HPC) said on Monday.

In a statement on World Breastfeeding Week, the council indicated that the percentage drops further to 11 percent for four- to five-month-old infants.

Pointing to the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, the council noted that there are missed opportunities to use breastfeeding for contraception, also known as the lactational amenorrhoea method (LAM), adding that only 1.1 percent of women in the Kingdom have used LAM as a contraceptive method.

A recent Population and Family Health Survey showed that about 30 percent of births in Jordan occurred less than two years after the previous child was had, contrary to international recommendations. The council cited the short exclusive breastfeeding period and lack of consultation on effective birth control as possible reasons for the issue.

Highlighting other benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, the HPC pointed out that breast milk is nutritious for newborns, and that adolescents and adults, who were exclusively breastfed, are less likely to be overweight and are more likely to perform better on intelligence tests. Moreover, exclusive breastfeeding helps to avoid a third of respiratory infections and reduces the risk of sudden infant deaths by more than a third.

According to its official website, the World Health Organization, along with UNICEF, recommends that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water. From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond.