HealthPhone: Exclusive Breastfeeding - Hindi
हिन्दी - Mānak Hindī - Hindi
India, South Africa, Nepal
"Exclusive breastfeeding" is defined as no other food or drink, not even water, except breast milk.
Exclusively breastfed babies do not need additional water – breastmilk is 88% water and supplies all the fluids that your baby needs. Exclusively breastfed babies do not require additional water even when it is very hot outside, as long as baby is allowed to nurse as needed.
Cultural and religious beliefs also influence water supplementation in early infancy. Proverbs passed down from generation to generation advise mothers to give babies water. Water may be viewed as the source of life—a spiritual and physiological necessity. Some cultures regard the act of offering water to the newborn as a way of welcoming the child into the world.
Studies show that healthy, exclusively breastfed infants under 6 months old do not need additional fluids, even in countries with extremely high temperatures and low humidity. Offering water before 6 months of age reduces breastmilk intake, interferes with full absorption of breastmilk nutrients, and increases the risk of illness from contaminated water and feeding bottles.

Produced by: USAID India
HealthPhone: Exclusive Breastfeeding - Hindi
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