Infant feeding patterns on Mauritius Island, 1991

The 1991 Mauritius Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (CPS) included a special module on infant feeding patterns in Mauritius. Since 1985, when a similar CPS was conducted, the incidence of breast-feeding has fallen from 86% to 72%. The duration of any breast-feeding among those breast-fed remained constant at 13.6 months. The module allowed for an assessment of the World Health Organization (WHO) breast-feeding indicators on exclusive breast-feeding, timely complementary feeding and continued breast-feeding. Only 16% of infants 0-3 months old are exclusively breast-fed; only 29% of infants 6-9 months old receive breast milk and complementary foods and only 27% of children 12-15 months are still breast-fed. These patterns of limited breast-feeding and early supplementation may signal future declines in breast-feeding for other African and Asian countries. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd