Infant Care Practices Adapted by Mothers Attending Medical College in Tamilnadu: A Cross –Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Context/Background: Rearing practices are a major determinant of nutritional and health status of infants. Infant Care Practices has more impact on Child Survival. Therefore these practices need to be better understood.Aims/Objectives: The objective of the study is to assess the feeding and child rearing practices among mothers in the study area.Methodology: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 110 mothers of 6 months to two year children attending Government Medical College in Thiruvannamalai using a Semi structured Questionnaire.Analysis of collected data was done using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software.Results: Only 43.6% of mothers exclusively breastfeed their child and 33.6% of mothers had given prelacteal feeds to the newborn. Bottle feeding was practiced by 71.7% of mothers. About 68.2% of mothers applied kajal to the eyes of children. All the mothers utilised Health care services during illness of the children. Maternal education improves the weaning and immunisation practices and found statistically significant (p < 0.05)Conclusions: Faulty child rearing practices need to be corrected either through health education, hands on training of mothers and counselling by healthcare professionals in order to improve the health status of infants.