Abstract
Objective: To describe the eating habits and nutritional status of children under one year old attended at the Family Health Strategy. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study developed in the city of Campina Grande, Paraiba. 633 mothers were interviewed and information included feeding practices (food eaten in the 24 hours preceding the survey) of their children. The nutritional status was analyzed using weight/age and length/age anthropometric indices. Results: Breastfeeding in the first hour of life was reported by 70.9% (n=443) of respondents. Foods most consumed were water and breast milk, followed by other types of milk. The high frequency of consumption of foods not recommended such as snacks, candies/chocolates/ lollipops and soft drinks was also reported. As for the anthropometric profile, weight and length deficits reached respectively 5.3% (n=32) and 11.9% (n=17) of children. Conclusion: Feeding practices of children under one year old disagree with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health of Brazil. Additionally, a high prevalence of stunting was also found in the context of public health.
Highlights
Adequate nutrition is an element that has a great impact on child health
The World Health Organization recommends that breast milk is given to infants as the only food for the first six months of life and complemented by other foods up to two years of age[4]
It was observed that only 12.7% of mothers of children had higher education and the proportion of families benefiting from the Programa Bolsa Família (Family Allowance Program) was 75.3%
Summary
Adequate nutrition is an element that has a great impact on child health. It is necessary for the promotion, protection and maintenance of health, and is a determining factor for growth and development[1,2]. The World Health Organization recommends that breast milk is given to infants as the only food for the first six months of life and complemented by other foods up to two years of age[4]. In order to reinforce these recommendations, the Ministry of Health of Brazil has made efforts to promote healthy and proper nutrition in the first two years of life, such as the production of the Guia Alimentar para Crianças Menores de Dois Anos[5] (Food Guide for Children under Two Years Old). Improving the quality of complementary feeding for children under one year old has been cited as one of the most effective strategies to maintain health and reduce morbidity and mortality in this age group[2,3]
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