ABSTRACT
Breast milk is the universal standard for optimal infant nutrition and health and is one of the most critical factors contributing to child survival and well-being. In poor communities, breastfeeding helps reduce children’s exposure to contaminants and water-borne illnesses, ensures food security for infants, and is an essential source of nutrition for a child’s growth and development. Optimal breastfeeding practices consist of breastfeeding initiation within the first hour of birth, exclusively for six months, and continuously to 24 months or beyond. In 2015, breastfeeding was identified as an integral element in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, as it is linked with Goal 2 - end hunger and improved nutrition, Goal 3 - ensure healthy lives and promote well-being, and Goal 12 - ensure sustainable consumption and production. Although the breastfeeding rates in Cambodia had increased since the introduction of the Baby-friendly Community Initiative in 2004, reports showed early breastfeeding termination using breastmilk substitute. This chapter used the Parametric survival analysis to examine the determinants of breastfeeding cessation among 5,453 married women who delivered a live birth in the past five years from the Cambodia Demographic and Health Surveys 2014 dataset. The time to cessation of breastfeeding is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, whereby the mother’s age, education, employment, income, and prenatal care were the significant predictors. Policymakers should focus not only on promoting initial and exclusive breastfeeding but also on continuous breastfeeding, which can operate on several levels and through prenatal and postnatal care programs, mass, and social media.
