Malnutrition during infancy and early childhood is a serious problem in the South-East Asia region and India is no exception to it. Adequate and appropriate nutrition is not only a child rights issue, but is also an important determinant of the prevalent high infant and under-five mortality rates in the region.

Malnutrition contributes to over half of the mortality in Under-five children and would need to be addressed more aggressively if the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for reducing child mortality (Goal # 4) has to be achieved by 2015. The Lancet series (2003) has shown that breastfeeding could prevent 13%, and complementary feeding 6% of all child deaths. Though positive trends in indicators like exclusive breastfeeding rates and appropriate complementary feeding practices are discernible, the progress is not optimal and the achievements are relatively modest.