In under-resourced settings, where sanitation and safe water are often lacking, breastfeeding can be life-saving. Breastfeeding protects against infectious diseases, especially gastrointestinal infections, which largely contribute to child morbidity and mortality in developing countries (1)....

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life can help bring down infant mortality rates and stunting in the developing world, say pediatricians and the UNICEF.

The purpose of the ASER 2009’s rapid assessment survey in rural areas is twofold: (i) to get reliable estimates of the status of children’s schooling and basic learning (reading and arithmetic level) at the district level; and (ii) to measure the change in these basic learning and...