Changes of feeding patterns in Chinese city children under 2years from 1985 to 2015: results from a series of national cross-sectional surveys.

Abstract

In China, as the social transformation and economic development from 1985 to 2015, children's feeding pattern has undergone some changes. So we aimed to analyze the secular trend on feeding patterns of city children in China. All data were from a series of national survey which implemented once every 10years in China from 1985 to 2015. We use same indexes to evaluate the feeding pattern of children in these four surveys. From 1985 to 2005, the exclusive breastfeeding rates in infants under 6months of age decreased, especially in suburban areas decreased by 17.7%; the continuous breastfeeding rate of 1-year-old children in suburbanarea decreased from 60.1 to 27.6%. However, from 2005 to 2015, the exclusive breastfeeding rates under 6months of age increased by16.0% in urban areas and 5.9% in suburban areas; the continuous breastfeeding rate of 1-year-old children in urban increased from 17.0 to 36.0%. The overall feeding rate of complementary food in infants under 6months of age declined from 1985 to 2015; the average age at introduction ofall complementary foods was around 6months of age in 2015. There is an obvious trend on feeding pattern of Chinese children. From 1985 to 2005, the breastfeeding rate decreased, the duration time of breastfeeding was shortened and the age at introduction ofcomplementary food was advanced. From 2005 to 2015, the breastfeeding rate increased, the duration time of breastfeeding wasprolonged, and the age at introduction of complementary food was postponed.