AIIMS Raipur NO- 2019 (shift 3rd)
Child Health Nursing (Pediatrics)
Easy

An infant should be exclusively breastfeed till how many months?

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur NO- 2019 (shift 3rd)

Explanation

  • Global and national health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, universally recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of an infant's life.
  • Exclusive breastfeeding means providing only breast milk, without any other food or drink, not even water, to ensure the infant receives optimal nutrition and immunological protection.
  • This 6-month period is critical for achieving the best possible growth, development, and health outcomes.
  • After 6 months, the infant's nutritional requirements, particularly for iron, increase, necessitating the introduction of complementary foods alongside continued breastfeeding.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Stopping exclusive breastfeeding at 5 months is too early. The infant would miss out on the full immunological and nutritional benefits provided during the crucial sixth month.
  • Option B: While breastfeeding is encouraged to continue for 12 months or even up to 2 years, it should not be exclusive for this long. Infants require complementary solid foods starting from 6 months to meet their evolving nutritional needs.
  • Option D: This duration is significantly shorter than the recommended 6 months. Introducing other foods or liquids this early can interfere with breastfeeding, increase the risk of infections, and potentially lead to allergies.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain The recommended duration for exclusive breastfeeding of an infant as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Nurses play a vital role in educating new mothers about the importance and duration of exclusive breastfeeding, dispelling myths, and providing practical support for successful lactation.
  • This knowledge is crucial for providing correct anticipatory guidance during antenatal and postnatal visits, empowering mothers to make informed decisions for their infant's health.
  • Patient safety implication: Incorrect advice on feeding can lead to malnutrition, increased infant morbidity from infections, and failure to thrive.
How to Approach the Question
  • Identify the core question: The question asks for the specific duration of exclusive breastfeeding.
  • Recall key pediatric nutrition guidelines from major health organizations like WHO and UNICEF.
  • Differentiate between 'exclusive breastfeeding' and 'continued breastfeeding'. Exclusive means only breast milk, while continued means breast milk plus other foods.
  • Evaluate the options based on the standard recommendation. The globally accepted standard for exclusive breastfeeding is the first 6 months of life.
  • Eliminate options that are too short (3 and 5 months) as they don't provide the full benefits, and the option that is too long (12 months) as it would lead to nutritional deficiencies without complementary foods.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: The recommended duration for exclusive breastfeeding of an infant.
  • Stem keywords: infant, exclusively breastfeed, months
  • Lead-in keywords: how many
  • Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

Question ID

Q9XjlkGCAGHuGaPCM9WmfF

Reference Book

E6 Nutrition Kumud Khanna 2e p. 127-129

E6 Nutrition Monika Sharma 3e p. 195-197

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