Abstract
Despite proven benefits, most countries fail to meet international targets for appropriate complementary and Breast Feeding (BF) practices. This study assessed feeding practices of children under two years of age and correlated them with family parameters in Oman, a high income country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Methods: Data from this study originated from the latest Oman National Nutrition Survey (ONNS). Assessment of children and their mothers’ socioeconomic, anthropometric, and nutritional variables was conducted at the household level. Evaluated feeding practices included age appropriate BF, diet diversity, and minimum acceptable diet (MAD). Results: Pairs of mothers and infants (n = 1344) were assessed. Early BF, exclusive BF at 6 months, infant formula, and iron rich meals were provided to 81, 29, 44, and 84% of children, respectively. Age appropriate BF and MAD were found in 58% and 35% of children, respectively. Low maternal education, younger age, low household income, and governorate negatively affected diet acceptability. Conclusion: Omani children successfully received early BF postpartum and consumed iron rich meals. Yet, rates of exclusive BF rates at six months and MAD for children under two were low. Comprehensive strategies should be placed to assess and influence children feeding practices in the Sultanate.
Highlights
Accepted: 14 September 2021The first 1000 days of life, lying between conception and the child’s second birthday, present a window of opportunity where nutrition and lifestyle changes mold the child’s development and his/her risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood [1]
This study showed that Omani mothers head off to a good start with 84% providing breastmilk within an hour of birth, achieving the 2030 global target rate of BF of 70% set by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and WHO [28] and exceeding the mean rate of middle and low income countries in the Middle East and Europe [29]
This study provides an update on Oman’s young children breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices from a national survey following the WHO STEPwise approach
Summary
The first 1000 days of life, lying between conception and the child’s second birthday, present a window of opportunity where nutrition and lifestyle changes mold the child’s development and his/her risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood [1] In this time window, high diet quality and age appropriate Breastfeeding (BF) affect infant growth and development as well as the risk of developing Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). High diet quality assessed by diversity and frequency of meals among children under two years of age was associated with satisfactory infant growth and development [4,5,6,7] In light of these benefits, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the World Health
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