Effect of rearing environment on the feeding pattern of under two years old Nigerian children

Abstract

With economic pressures on families increasing, more women are working outside the home leaving their children in day care centres. In a community-based, descriptive cross-sectional study, the feeding pattern in two groups of children under two years old, cared for in two different rearing environments: home environment and day care centres, was compared, and the effect of rearing environment on their feeding pattern was assessed. Two groups of children from lower-middle socio-economic backgrounds were recruited into the study. Using simple random sampling, 250 under two years old children attending day care centres in a medium-high density area of Osogbo metropolis and 250 under two years old children cared for in the home environment in the same area were enrolled in the study. Information was collected by use of a pre-tested and structured questionnaire administered to the parents of the children, the proprietors and the attendants of the day care centres. The feeding pattern of the children in both groups revealed a low level of breast-feeding practices, early initiation of complementary feeding and short total duration of breast-feeding. The study also showed that putting children in day care centres may militate against the mother being able to practise exclusive breast-feeding and may also affect total duration of breast-feeding. The study concluded that rearing environment has an effect on the feeding patterns of children. Health education of both mothers and health professionals and provision of crèches or day care centres by companies, institutions, hospitals and schools in their premises are recommendations for improving the situation.