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Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Indicators in Madagascar: Analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey

Child nutrition during the first two years of life is critical for growth and development. The WHO developed a validated set of indicators to assess infant and child feeding practices across countries. The association between the WHO infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators and stunting was assessed using the latest Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data for Madagascar. Determinants of inappropriate child feeding practices were also identified for a total of 1956 infants aged 0–23 months included in the analysis. The rates of initiation of breastfeeding within one hour after birth (78.1%), continued breastfeeding at one year (99.6%) and timely introduction of solid, semi‐solid or soft foods at 6–8 months (77.2%) were high. Exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months (49%) was relatively low and attaining minimum dietary diversity (17.4%) and consumption of iron‐rich foods (1.8%) were extremely low. Stunting was not associated with any of the indicators assessed. Infants born to mothers who had first given birth at an age younger than 19 were more likely not to be breastfed within one hour after birth, not to be exclusively breastfed and not to have the recommended dietary diversity. A measure of low household resources was associated with higher odds of not meeting the minimum dietary diversity. The poor IYCF indicators confirm the need for more effective programs for improving child feeding practices in Madagascar. The identified risk factors for inappropriate feeding practices could be used in directing future nutrition sensitive and specific interventions.