Abstract
Mothers’ instigation of complementary feeding before their infant reaches 6 months old risks shortening their breastfeeding duration, and high morbidity and mortality for their child. Complementary feeding practices require further investigation in Saudi Arabia. The present study aims to evaluate complementary feeding practices, and to establish which factors are associated with the early introduction of complementary feeding in the Saudi Arabian context. Cross-sectional research was conducted with 632 mothers of infants aged between 4 and 24 months attending five primary health care centers (PHCCs) between July and December 2015 in Saudi Arabia. Data on participants’ socio-demographic characteristics and complementary feeding practices were collected via structured questionnaires. A regression analysis identified the factors associated with the early introduction of solid foods, defined as before 17 weeks. 62.5% of the study’s infants received solid foods before reaching 17 weeks old. The maternal factors at higher risk of early introduction of solids were: younger age; Saudi nationality; shorter education; employment within 6 months post-birth; caesareans; not breastfeeding fully for six weeks post-birth, and living in low-income households. Complementary feeding prior to 6 months postpartum was common in Saudi Arabia. Public health interventions are needed to reduce early complementary feeding, focusing on mothers at highest risk of giving solids too early.
Highlights
The stage of life beginning at birth and lasting until an infant reaches two years of age is known as the “critical window” in terms of encouraging optimal health, growth and cognitive development [1].Suitable feeding practices are vital to the healthy development and growth of the infant during this stage of their early life [2]
Addressing this in 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) set out the recommendation that mothers in both developing and developed countries should exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first 6 months of their lives, and ensure that they receive adequately safe and nutritious solid foods alongside continued breastfeeding until they reach the age of 2 years or more [3,4]
This study has shown that a high proportion (62.5%) of infants in Saudi Arabia are given solid foods prior to reaching 17 weeks of age, a finding which implies a general failure in the country to follow the WHO’s recommendations on the feeding of infants
Summary
Suitable feeding practices are vital to the healthy development and growth of the infant during this stage of their early life [2]. Addressing this in 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) set out the recommendation that mothers in both developing and developed countries should exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first 6 months of their lives, and ensure that they receive adequately safe and nutritious solid foods alongside continued breastfeeding until they reach the age of 2 years or more [3,4]. A study has found that young infants under six months of
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 callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: 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.
