Abstract
Updated information on child feeding practices, nutritional status, and trends related to parental sociodemographic variables is required in developing countries. The objective of this study was to describe infant feeding practices and associated sociodemographic factors among Ethiopian children with an emphasis on complementary feeding (CF). Information on infant feeding and anthropometric measures was obtained from 1,054 mother-child pairs participating in a birth cohort study of children born between 2017 and 2020 prospectively followed in the city of Adama located in the Oromia region of central Ethiopia. Logistic regression models were used to identify sociodemographic and food groups associated with the initiation of CF. The introduction of complementary foods at 6 months of age was 84.7% (95% CI, 82.5, 86.8). Vegetables, cereals (teff, wheat, barley), and fruits were most often the earliest types of foods introduced. Wasting, stunting, underweight, and low body mass index (BMI) by age were found in 6.0, 16.9, 2.5, and 6.3%, respectively. Maternal age and occupation were the factors associated with timely initiation of CF [OR = 2.25, (95% CI, 1.14, 4.41)] and [OR = 0.68, (95% CI, 0.48, 0.97)], respectively. This study demonstrates that the majority of Ethiopian children in the Oromia region follow the recommendations of WHO on CF.
Highlights
The introduction of complementary foods during weaning at the age of 6 months is generally recommended to ensure the growth, health, and development of children to reach their optimal growth potential during the first 2 years of childhood [1]
Between 2017 and 2020, 1,389 newborn children were approached from the general population of the city of Adama and the surrounding Oromia region of central Ethiopia to be enrolled in a 4-year follow-up study
Mothers were participating in the pregnancy tuberculosis study investigating the role of tuberculosis infection on pregnancy outcomes, while infants were participating in the Traditional Ethiopian Food (TEF) birth cohort study examining the prevalence of celiac disease in children [18, 19]
Summary
The introduction of complementary foods during weaning at the age of 6 months is generally recommended to ensure the growth, health, and development of children to reach their optimal growth potential during the first 2 years of childhood [1]. And delayed introduction of complementary feeding (CF) may result in poor nutritional status and increased morbidity in growing children [4, 5]. The WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices strategy was developed, which includes infant feeding recommendations for breastfeeding children under the age of 2 years, the introduction of solid. Complementary Feeding in Ethiopian Children and semisolid foods at the age of 6 months, and a gradual increase in the amount and frequency of different foods as the child grows older [6]. Inappropriate feeding practices attributed to poor nutritional knowledge can, be a significant contributor to poor nutritional status and growth development, as well as long-term risk of developing chronic diseases in developing countries [7,8,9]
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