According to the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4) report of 2015-2016, 41.6 per cent children in India were breastfed within one hour of birth. This is a massive improvement from a decade ago, when in 2005-2006 only 23.4 per cent children under 3 years of age were breastfed within one hour of birth. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), for the first six months, children should only be breastfed. NFHS-4 data reveals that in 2015-2016, 54.9 per cent children were exclusively breastfed as opposed to 46.4 per cent in 2005-2006. To promote breastfeeding, the world celebrates breastfeeding week every year in the first week of August. Here are five crucial things to know about the importance of breastfeeding and the need for the week long annual celebrations.