Breastfeeding and child survival in Ethiopia: evidence from 2005 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey

Gulilat Teshome Lake, USAID Deliver Project, Ethiopia

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of duration of breastfeeding on the risks of dying before the age of five; and its contribution for urban-rural mortality differense in Ethiopia. The study used a nationally representative data from the 2005 Ethiopia DHS. Chi square-test and logistic regression models were employed to analyse the impact of breastfeeding on the risks of dying before the age of five. The results indicate that longer duration of breastfeeding has beneficial effect in reducing under-five mortality. Children who were breastfed for short duration have 14 times higher risk of dying before the age of five. The under-five mortality difference between urban and rural areas is determined mainly by differences in socio-economic conditions and access to basic maternal health care services. Thus, the difference in the mean duration of breastfeeding between urban and rural areas doesn't account for the urban-rural under-five mortality difference.