Abstract
BackgroundMalnutrition has been responsible directly or indirectly for 10.9 million deaths worldwide annually among children under five. Childhood malnutrition is highly related to poor nutritional quality diet in developing countries where there is limited access to animal based foods. Most foods consumed by young children are cereal based which contain high amounts of anti-nutritional factors. Fermentation is thought to significantly lower the content of anti-nutrients in cereal grains. This study therefore, aimed to determine complementary feeding practices and effect of spontaneous fermentation on anti-nutritional factors and mineral contents of selected cereals.MethodsCross sectional survey was conducted in Ebinat district to determine complementary feeding practices among 324 lactating mothers. Laboratory analysis was carried out for teff and wheat cereal grains to determine the effect of spontaneous fermentation on anti-nutrients as well as mineral contents.ResultsPrevalence of appropriate complementary feeding practice was 1.5%. Fermentation of the sampled cereals for 12 h significantly (p < 0.05) reduced total phytate and total tannin. The reduction continued and most of the reduction of phytate and tannin contents occurred during the 72 h of fermentation for both cereal samples. However, the reduction for some fermentation times was not statistically significant. A significant (p < 0.05) variation was also noticed in the total amounts of calcium, iron and zinc in both sampled cereals within the 72 h of fermentation.ConclusionPrevalence of appropriate complementary feeding practice was very low. There were significant reductions of phytate and tannin contents with concomitant increments of minerals after fermentation of cereals. Phytate: mineral ratios were significantly decreased after fermentation for all the parameters examined. It is recommended to ferment cereals while preparing complementary foods for children so as to enhance their micronutrient uptake.
Highlights
Malnutrition has been responsible directly or indirectly for 10.9 million deaths worldwide annually among children under five
196 (60.5%) reported that they usually ferment grains during the preparation of family foods (Table 2). They hardly do for complementary foods
Phytate: mineral ratios were significantly decreased after fermentation for all the parameters examined even if the critical values were not achieved for iron and zinc
Summary
Malnutrition has been responsible directly or indirectly for 10.9 million deaths worldwide annually among children under five. Most foods consumed by young children are cereal based which contain high amounts of anti-nutritional factors. This study aimed to determine complementary feeding practices and effect of spontaneous fermentation on anti-nutritional factors and mineral contents of selected cereals. Demographic and Health surveys data from twenty-one developing countries indicated that poor complementary feeding of children aged 6–23 months contributes to negative growth trends [1]. Inappropriate complementary feeding practices remain one of the most determinant factors which prone children susceptible to irreversible outcomes of stunting, poor cognitive development and increased risk of infectious diseases [3]. Malnutrition is a significant public health problem for infants and young children in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian mini demographic and health survey (DHS, 2014) shows that national rates of stunting, underweight and wasting among under 5 years children were 40, 25 and 9% respectively [5], have declined only slightly in the last decade and remained serious public health problems
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
