LUCKNOW, June 8 -- Nearly two-thirds of infants below six months of age in Uttar Pradesh are not exclusively breastfed, according to data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6.

The findings place Uttar Pradesh at the bottom among all states on the indicator, raising concerns among public health experts about infant nutrition and feeding practices during the crucial early months of life.

India has an average 55.8% children under 6 months of age who are breastfed exclusively, according to NFHS 6 (a statistical data spreading 2022-24) and the data was 63.7% in NFHS5 (2019-21). However, the data for Uttar Pradesh for NFHS6 is 34.6% and for NFHS5, the data is 59.7% a fall of 25.1% between NFHS5 and NFHS6.

India too recorded a fall...