Early Initiation Of Complementary Feeding Research Articles

Anemia and associated factors among under-five children attending public Hospitals in Harari Regional State, eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

Childhood anemia is a significant global public health problem. It influences the physical and cognitive development, as well as immunity of affected children. This in turn leads to poor academic performance, low working potential, and increased morbidity and mortality. There is limited facility-based data on the magnitude and predictors of anemia among under-five children. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of anemia among under-five children attending public Hospitals in Harari Regional State, eastern Ethiopia. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital and Jugal Hospital from July 1, 2022, to August 31, 2022. A total of 330 under-five children were involved by systematic random sampling technique. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and other possible factors were collected through face-to-face interviews with children's parents/legal guardians. Four milliliters of venous blood samples were collected for a complete blood cell count. Collected data were checked for completeness, entered into Epi-Data Statistical Software Version 4.6, and exported into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was conducted and P < .05 were considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence of anemia was 33% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.9%-37.9%). Age of children 6 to 11 months (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 3.94, 95% CI: 1.55-10.01) and 12 to 23 months (AOR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.15-7.43), no maternal education (AOR = 4.34, 95% CI: 1.53-12.35), not exclusively breastfeeding (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.11-3.52), being severely stunted (AOR = 3.39, 95 CI: 1.70-6.75), and underweight (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.12-3.87) were significantly associated with anemia among under-five children. In this study, anemia among under-five children is a moderate public health problem. This study revealed that young child age, maternal education level, early initiation of complementary feeding, and child undernutrition were factors associated with anemia. Thus, efforts should be made to improve the child's nutritional status as well as enhance maternal awareness of nutrition and child-feeding practice through health education. Regular childhood nutritional screening and appropriate intervention for malnutrition are needed. Besides, further studies assessing serum micronutrient levels should be conducted to differentiate the specific cause and type of anemia.

Early initiation of complementary feeding practice and its associated factors among children aged 6 to 24 months in Northeast Ethiopia

BackgroundEven if there is currently no research on food integration practices, there is an unreliable hole in the data for the first motives, especially 6 to 24 months, research at ages varies in different ways, always, but the child’s development affects an important part of both the child and the parents. This gap limits our comprehensive knowledge of strategic choices and—their potential impact on children’s overall health and well-being. Therefore, the aim of this study was factors shaping complementary feeding for 6 to 24-Month-Olds in Northeast Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based survey was conducted in northeastern Ethiopia from June to July 2022. A sample of 409 mothers with infants aged 6 to 24 months was selected using a simple random sampling method. A structured questionnaire was adopted and data were collected by an interviewer. Collected data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6 and subsequently converted to SPSS version 21 for further analysis. Variables with a P-value < = 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were included in the multivariable logistic regression model. Multivariable logistic regression analyses aimed at identifying independent associations between early initiation of supplement feeding and determinants-adjusted odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine the strength of associations. P-values less than or equal to 0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 409 mothers with their children were included in the analysis, revealing a prevalence of 38.1% for early initiation of complementary feeding among children aged 6–24 months. Factors associated with -early initiation included place of residence (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 3.63, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.1–11.95), husband’s educational status (AOR 16.83, 95% CI 1.98–24.8), maternal occupation (AOR 21.2, 95% CI 1.11–46.9), number of antenatal care (ANC) visits (AOR 25.94, 95% CI 22.7–85.67), initial breastfeeding time (AOR 4.98, 95% CI 1.22–14.9), and medical illness (AOR 2.81, 95% CI 1.12–3.6.ConclusionSignificant associations with Complementary Feeding were identified with the number of antenatal care (ANC) visits, postnatal care (PNC) check-ups, current residency, breastfeeding initiation time, maternal medical illness, and occupational status. To mitigate the early initiation of complementary feeding, it is recommended to enhance ANC/PNC services and educate mothers about the precise timing for introducing complementary foods to their infants.

Regional Variation in the Prevalence of Undernutrition and its Correlates Among Under Five-Year Children in North India.

Undernutrition is an important public health problem affecting one-third of under five-year-old children in India. To assess the nutritional status of under five-year-old children along with child feeding practices. We adopted a systematic sampling procedure to carry out this community-based, cross-sectional study in all the districts of Haryana. Data was collected on socioeconomic and demographic particulars along with anthropometric measurements. Analysis was done using SPSS Windows 23. The overall prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting was 34%, 27.5%, and 11%, while that of severe undernutrition was 11%, 8%, and 3%, respectively. The odds of underweight were significantly higher among children of the Muslim religion, children of scheduled caste, children of illiterate mothers, lower per capita income, HHs without electricity, landless HHs, low birth weight, no ANC care, and those early ages at complementary feeding. Stunting was significantly higher among children whose mothers were illiterate, children whose fathers were laborers, among landless HHs, with no separate kitchen and lower birth weight, while wasting was higher among children of Muslim religion, children of scheduled caste, with no sanitary latrine facility, low-birth-weight children and early initiation of complementary feeding. Undernutrition is observed to be associated with religion, community, education of mother, per capita income, land holding status, birth weight, and age at complementary feeding. Thus, improving maternal nutrition can improve birth weight, improving maternal knowledge about child feeding, and the household's socio-economic status may improve the nutritional status of children.

Assessment of catch-up growth in low birthweight babies in a tertiary care center of Tamil Nadu: A longitudinal study

Background: Low birthweight (LBW) is a critical health issue which accounts for nearly 50% of all perinatal deaths and associated with short- and long-term consequences. An understanding of the catch-up growth potential pattern of LBW babies is important which can give a hint for changes in current practice. Aim and Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess and compare the physical growth profile of various categories of LBW babies admitted in neonatal intensive care unit between January 2020 to march 2020 of a tertiary care center and to study factors associated with decreased growth profile of LBW babies. Materials and Methods: It was a longitudinal study involving 280 LBW babies. Assessment was done at corrected gestational age of 40 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of age. Weight, length, and head circumference were measured. Chi-square test was used as test of significance. P &lt; 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: About 72.5% of the LBW babies attained catch-up growth by 18 months. Preterm small for gestational age (SGA) has significant percentage of babies (53.4%) not attaining the catch-up growth. Babies who were breastfed (80%) exclusively had better catch-up growth compared to formula fed (4.8%). Conclusion: Preterm appropriate for gestational age had attained maximum catch-up growth followed by term SGA and preterm SGA which is least. Maternal breastfeeding and early initiation of complementary feeding had significant influence in postnatal growth. Mother’s educational status, maternal complications, and neonatal complications had no influence in postnatal catch-up growth.

Study on acute respiratory infection in children aged 1 year to 5 years-A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are the single greatest cause of death among children throughout the world. They are responsible every year for the deaths of 4.3 million children under 5 years of age worldwide. Community- or hospital-based surveys for finding out the prevalence and various factors associated with ARI are very few, especially in urban areas. Also, surveys to study the use of vaccines in preventing ARIs are scarce. Hence, we studied ARI in children aged 1 year to 5 years in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala. The aim was to determine the frequency of ARIs in the last 1 year in children aged 1 year to 5 years, attending the immunization clinic at Lourdes Hospital, Kochi, and assess the selected epidemiological, socio-demographic, nutritional and immunization factors associated with ARIs in the study group. Children attending the immunization clinic at a tertiary care hospital, Kochi, in the age group of 1 year to 5 years were selected. A brief introduction was given to the mother/caregiver of the child regarding the purpose of the study and was asked to fill out the questionnaire. Informed consent was taken. For the study, ARI is defined as the presence of one or more of the following: cough, running nose, blocked nose, sore throat, difficulty breathing, or ear problems; with or without fever. Results were analyzed. Mother was the caregiver in 67% of the cases. When the caregiver was the mother, ARI is found to be less. Among those mothers who had no formal education, 100% of their children got ARI. Children whose caregivers were 30 years and older had lesser ARI. The proportion of children with ARIs was more with a history of respiratory infection among family members (parents/siblings) compared to those with no such history. The occurrence of ARI was more frequent in rural compared to urban areas. There is a significant proportion of ARI in non-exclusively breastfed infants, bottle feeding, and early initiation of complementary feeding. Children with a history of exposure to cigarette smoke had an increased occurrence of ARI. Similar results followed for exposure to biomass fuel and exposure to cold and rain. Children who were not immunized to vaccines-pneumococcal, Hib, measles, vitamin A, showed a higher occurrence of ARI compared to immunization. The studies regarding factors influencing ARI are relatively rare in an urban setting, thus this calls for more studies in urban areas. Health education can change the healthcare-seeking behavior and attitude of parents for preventing ARI-related deaths. Family physicians can play a significant role by educating caregivers of children and giving timely services. Promoting and ensuring exclusive breastfeeding practices, timely weaning after 6 months, and avoidance of bottle feeds can dramatically decrease the episodes of ARI.

Stunting and associated factors among 6\u201323\xa0month old children in drought vulnerable kebeles of Demba Gofa district, southern Ethiopia

BackgroundStunting is impaired linear growth of children: they experience stunting in the first 1000 days after conception and is an indication of chronic malnutrition. Children under the age of two are regarded as the most vulnerable to malnutrition due to their rapid growth and greater exposure to infectious disease.ObjectiveTo assess the magnitude and associated factors of stunting among 6 to 23-month-old children in drought-vulnerable kebeles of the Demba Gofa district, southern Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2021. Systematic random sampling was used to select pairs of mothers/caregivers with children aged 6 to 23 months. A semistructured questionnaire and anthropometric measurement were used to collect the data. The data were checked coded and entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS for Windows version 20.0 for analysis. Simple and multivariable linear regressions were conducted. The level of significance was declared at 95% CI and p-value < 0.05.ResultsThe magnitude of stunting in the study area was 79(21.82%). Household dietary diversity [β = 0.217, 95% CI, 0.093–0.342], early initiation of complementary feeding [β = 0.444, 95% CI, 0.344–0.543], frequency of breastfeeding within 24 h [β = 0.217, 95% CI, 0.179–0.263] and child eating animal source food [β = 0.351, 95% CI, 0.196–0.506] were positively significant predictors of child height/length-for-age (HAZ).ConclusionThe extent of stunting in the study area is relatively lower than that in regional and national reports, but one out of five children were still stunted. Therefore, health education on infant and young child feeding practices should be provided to mothers to reduce the problem.

Stunting and Underweight, but not Wasting are Associated with Delay in Child Development in Southwest Ethiopia.

BackgroundStimulating care during childhood is the foundation for optimal health, learning, productivity, and social well-being throughout the life course. In addition, malnutrition is a major public health concern affecting up to half of children under-five years in Ethiopia. However, evidence on the causal contribution of malnutrition to delay in child development is poorly understood in Ethiopia.ObjectiveTo identify the relationship between different forms of malnutrition and delay in child development among children in Southwest Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based survey was conducted among 507 randomly selected mother–child pairs in the Guraghe Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. A pretested tool and validated anthropometric measurements were used. Anthropometric indices (WFH, WFA, and HFA) were calculated in Anthros software. The data were summarized in mean, median, standard deviation, tables and charts. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression (stepwise backward regression) models were fitted with nutritional status (wasting, stunting and underweight) and other potential factors associated with delay in child developmental. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals and p-values were reported.ResultsA total of 507 mother–child (12–59 months) pairs were included in the survey (97% response rate). The mean ASQ-3 score was 150 (± 23.4), with a minimum and maximum score of 45 and 270, respectively. A total of 149 (29.4%; 95% CI: 25.4–33.4) children had developmental delays, where 17.2%, 16.8%, 13.4%, 10.8%, and 10.1% had delays in gross motor, communication, problem-solving, personal-social, and fine motor skills, respectively. Children of working mothers (AOR=2.9; 1.8, 4.8), preterm births (AOR=3.2; 1.4, 7.0), early initiation of complementary feeding (AOR=2.5; 1.37, 4.6), stunting (AOR=3.0; 1.9, 4.7), underweight (AOR= 2.3; 1.1, 4.7) and low dietary diversity score (AOR=3.1; 1.3, 7.5), were predictors of developmental delay.ConclusionChild development delay is a public health concern and it is strongly associated with stunting, underweight, undiversified dietary consumption, and suboptimal infant and young child feeding practices.

Non-exclusive breast feeding and its factors in the first 6-month life of infants among mother-infant pairs of 6–12 months in Debre Tabor town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019: community-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundNon-exclusive breastfeeding is becoming a major cause of infant and child morbidity and mortality in developing countries including Ethiopia. ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of non-exclusive breastfeeding and its factors in the first 6 months life of infants among mother-infant pairs of 6–12 months in Debre Tabor Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019. MethodsA Community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 860 mother-infant pairs of 6–12 months in Debre Tabor Town, from March 1–30/2019. To select study participants cluster sampling technique was employed. Data were entered into EPI info version 7.2.0.1 and exported to SPSS window version 20 for analysis. Binary and multivariable logistic regression was used to see the association between dependent and independent variables. The odds' ratio with a 95% confidence interval was computed. ResultsThe prevalence of non-exclusive breastfeeding of mothers to their infants within the first 6 months was found to be 39.8% (95% CI: 36.6–43.0). Mothers whose husbands had no formal education [(Adjusted odds ratio AOR = 6.60 [95%CI: 4.14, 10.41)], primary education (AOR = 4.30 [95% CI: 2.62, 7.20]), Mothers governmental employed (AOR = 8.20 [95% CI: 5.191, 12.940]), daily laborer (AOR = 1.70 [95% CI: 1.01, 2.90]), merchant mothers (AOR = 0.44 [95% CI: 0.35, 0.90]), and Mothers who had no post-natal care follow up for current baby in health service (AOR = 2.40 [95% CI: 1.56, 3.76]) were significantly associated with outcome. Conclusionand Recommendations: High proportion of mothers practiced Early Initiation of Complementary feeding within the first 6 months. Husbands had no formal education, primary education maternal governmental employed, daily laborer, merchant, and mothers who had no post-natal follow up where were found to be a predictors variable. Hence,; it is better to increase annual leave for delivered mothers, improve awareness of husbands towards benefits of introducing complementary feeding timely, and advise mothers to improve post-natal period follow up.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Mothers of Children 6 to 24 months of Age Regarding Complementary Feeding.

Complementary foods fill the gap between the total nutritional needs of the child and the amounts provided by breast milk. Inappropriate feeding practices are a major cause of the onset of malnutrition in young children. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of mothers of children between 6 to 24 months of age regarding complementary feeding. This Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Study was conducted among 250 mothers in Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital from June 2019 to November 2019 after obtaining ethical approval from the institutional review committee (Ref no. 150320199). Convenient sampling method was applied. The mothers of children between 6 to 24 months were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to ascertain the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding complementary feeding. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Two hundred and fifty mothers were interviewed. 151 (60.4%) mothers knew initiation of breastfeeding soon after birth and 179 (71.6%) were knowledgeable about exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. 161 (64.4%) mothers knew the proper age of initiating complementary feeding but only 139 (55.6%) mothers practiced it. Early initiation of complementary feeding was done by 87 (34.8%) mothers while 24 (9.6%) mothers delayed it beyond 6 months. There was a gap in knowledge and practice among mothers regarding adequate age of initiation of complementary feeding, complementary foods, preparation, and practices.

Evaluation of complementary feeding knowledge and behavior of mothers with children between four-twenty four months

Aim: Complementary feeding is important for growth in infancy. In this study, we aimed to determine the knowledge of complementary feeding of mothers who take their children to our hospital and to evaluate the effects of mother’s and baby’s characteristics on complementary feeding. Material and Method: Between December 2018 and February 2019, 259 mothers who admitted to our hospital were included in the study. Mothers’ knowledge and behavior about complementary feeding were questioned. Results: The mean age of 259 mothers was 28.71 ± 5.09 years old. 94 (36.3%) of the participants introduced complementary feeding before six months. The mean time to introduce complementary feeding was 5.67 ± 0.84 months. Complementary feeding was introduced with 48.6% yoghurt, 17.8% fruit puree and 17% soup. The most frequent reason for early onset was the weight gain of the baby and the decrease in breast milk. A significant difference was found between the monthly income of the family, smoking and working of the mother, and early initiation of complementary feeding. The use of feeding bottles and/or pacifiers was also associated with early onset of complementary feeding. Conclusion: Mothers’ time to introduce complementary feeding varies. Mothers should be given more education about complementary feeding for healthy development of babies.

Stunting and anemia among children 6\u201323 months old in Damot Sore district, Southern Ethiopia

BackgroundStunting and anemia are long-standing public health challenges which adversely affects the cognitive development and physical wellbeing of children in low income settings. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of stunting and anemia among 6–23 months old children in Damot Sore District, Southern Ethiopia.MethodsCross-sectional survey was conducted among 477 children aged 6–23 months, which were living in Damot Sore District, in April 2017. A multistage sampling technique was used. Villages were randomly selected and systematic random sampling method was used to select study participants. Data on socio-demographic, anthropometric, dietary, blood samples for hemoglobin were collected. Data were entered into EPI Data V. 3.1 and exported into SPSS Version 21.0 for analysis. A principal component analysis (PCA) was done to generate wealth score of households. Binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with the outcome variables (stunting and anemia) separately, those variables having less than a p-value of 0.25 were chosen as candidate for multivariable analyses and finally multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify independent variables of each outcomes, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05 (95% confidence interval (CI)).ResultsOut of 477 children studied, 31.7% were stunted and 52% were anemic. In the multivariable analyses, the number of under five children within a household (AOR = 4.18, 95% CI: 2.65–6.57), drinking water from unsafe source (AOR = 4.08, 95% CI: 1.33–12.54) and anemia (AOR = 3.13, 95% CI 2.00–4.92) were factors significantly associated with stunting. On the other hand, independent variables of anemia were early initiation of complementary feeding (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI: 1.23–4.85), poor dietary diversity (AOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.78–4.91), poor breast feeding practice (AOR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.63–5.32) and stunting (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI: 2.15–6.19).ConclusionThis study revealed higher level of stunting and anemia among children aged 6–23 months than WHO (world health organization) criteria of public health importance. Sustainable promotion of diversified diet, optimal complementary feeding, optimal and complementary breast feeding practices, improving sanitation infrastructure are measures needed to tackle these severe public health challenges.

Characterising infant and young child feeding practices and the consumption of poultry products in rural Tanzania: A mixed methods approach.

Suboptimal breastfeeding practices, early initiation of complementary feeding, and monotonous cereal‐based diets have been implicated as contributors to continuing high rates of child undernutrition in sub‐Saharan Africa. Nutrition‐sensitive interventions, including agricultural programs that increase access to nutrient‐rich vegetables, legumes, and animal‐source foods, have the potential to achieve sustainable improvements in children's diets. In the quest to evaluate the efficacy of such programs in improving growth and development in the first 2 years of life, there is a role for mixed methods research to better understand existing infant and young child feeding practices. This analysis forms part of a longitudinal study assessing the impact of improvements to poultry health and crop production on diets and growth of 503 randomly selected children from eight rural communities in Manyoni District in central Tanzania. Using an explanatory sequential design, the quantitative phase of data collection was conducted between May 2014 and May 2016, comprising six monthly structured questionnaires, four monthly household‐level documentation of chicken and egg consumption, and fortnightly records of children's breastfeeding status. The subsequent qualitative phase involved in‐depth interviews with a subset of 39 mothers in October 2016. Breastfeeding was almost universal (96.8%) and of long duration (mean = 21.7 months, SD = 3.6), but early initiation of complementary feeding was also common (74.4%; mean = 4.0 months, SD = 1.8), overwhelmingly driven by maternal perceptions of insufficient milk supply (95.0%). Chicken and eggs were infrequently eaten, but close associations between maternal and child consumption patterns (p < .001) suggest the potential for strategies that increase household‐level consumption to bring nutritional benefits to young children.

Prevalence of timely introduction of complementary feeding and its related factors in children 6–24 months of age in Hyderabad, Pakistan

Background: A child at the age of 6 months requires an additional and improved nutrition, besides mother's milk for better growth and immunity, to protect them from many diseases. Lack of timely initiation of complementary feeding (CF) is an important cause of undernutrition in children under 5 years of age which is an underlying cause of more than 40% of morbidity and mortality. Objectives: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and factors related to timely introduction of CF in children 6–24 months of age. Methods: This was a mixed-method study. This study was conducted in a rural area of Hyderabad, Pakistan. A sample of 106 households was selected through multistage sampling technique. Mothers of children between 6 and 24 months of age were interviewed through questionnaire and in-depth interview guide for quantitative and qualitative parts, respectively. Results: The prevalence of early initiation of CF in the study area was found out to be 48%, those who started in time believed that children were old enough (42%) or the child was crying excessively (33%), and hence, they had to introduce complementary foods for children. In total, around 63% of mothers were empowered to decide about their children feeding. Factors such as mothers' education, living in cemented house, and watching television were significantly associated with their children given CF at the age of 6 months. Qualitative data suggested that mothers commonly weaned their infants with animal milk, tea, and biscuits, and they lacked in correct knowledge about CF practices. Conclusion: A significant proportion of mothers in rural areas of Pakistan delay CF. We found that maternal education, residence in cemented houses, and exposure to media play a part in timely introduction of CF to children aged 6–24 months.

Infant Feeding Practices in A Well Baby Clinic of A Tertiary Hospital in North Kerala

Authors Dr Kavitha Pavithran, Dr Anil kumar Aalinkeel, Dr Ravikumar Payora Department of Pediatrics, A.C.M.E Pariyaram, Kannur. Kerala Corresponding Author Dr Kavitha Pavithran Department of Pediatrics, A.C.M.E Pariyaram, Kannur. Kerala. 670503 Email: kavashu@gmail.com Phone: 9446454969 ABSTRACT Aim and objective: To study the infant feeding practices among mothers accompanying infants in a well baby clinic. To evaluate the association between educational status and religion of mother and the feeding practice. Methods: A clinic based cross-sectional descriptive study among mothers accompanying infants for immunization and check up during a period of six months. Data was collected using a pre tested questionnaire Results: A total of 432 mothers and their infants were enrolled in the study. 19.8% of infants were given prelacteal feeds. All the babies received colostrum. 92.5% were initiated breast feeding within one hour after delivery. 97% of the mothers practiced breast feeding on demand. 72% of babies who were less than 6 months of age were exclusively breast fed. Among babies older than 6 months 71.6% were started on early complementary feeding and 2.1% of them were not on complementary feeding. Early initiation of breast feeding was significantly more in mothers with higher educational status. Exclusive breast feeding was less and artificial feeds usage was more in mothers with higher educational status. Religion also showed significant association with type and time of first feed. Conclusion: Despite higher rate of early initiation of breast feeding, colostrum feeding and demand feeding, exclusive breast feeding was comparatively low. Early initiation of complementary feeding was also noted. Knowledge and practice of infant feeding varied with religion and educational status of the mother

Study of complementary feeding practices in mothers of infants aged 6-12 months

Introduction: Timely introduction of appropriate and adequate complementary feeds to infants, at the age of 6-9 months is important for the optimal growth of the child. It is essential for child’s mental growth, to prevent under-nutrition and anemia. NFHS-3 data reveals only 55.8% children being introduced to complementary feeds along with continued breastfeeding at age of 6-9 months. Our study was taken to know the profile of various locally prevalent complementary foods, various food beliefs and factors influencing introduction of complementary feeding to infants aged 6-12 months. Materials and Methods: Study was carried out in D.Y. Patil Hospital, where, mothers of 120 infants fulfilling the inclusion criteria were interviewed and data regarding the socio-demographic factors, maternal factors and feeding practices was collected in a structured format. The data was then analyzed using various statistical methods and SPSS software. Results: The study revealed that incidence of initiating complementary feeding at 6 months is 31.6%. Only 14.28% infants of working mothers received right consistency of complementary feeds. The most common reason for early initiation of complementary feeding was mothers being working while for delay was that baby vomits or gags the complementary food. Animal milk and milk based preparations were commonly used complementary foods. Conclusion: There is lack of knowledge regarding the ideal complementary feeding practices amongst the mothers. Health workers should educate the mothers regarding continuation of breastfeeding and appropriate timing of introduction of complementary feeds. Mothers need to be taught about the adequate frequency, quantity and appropriate consistency of complementary feeds.

Perfil nutricional en niños menores de cinco años de comunidades afrodescendientes del Paraguay

Background: In Paraguay, little is known about the Afro-descendant population. It is important to know about their nutritional status, mainly in childhood, to guide appropriate action. Objective: To determine the nutritional profile of children under five years from the African descendants’ communities in Paraguay and its associated factors. Material and methods: A cross-sectional and observational design with analytical component was developed. It involved healthy male and female children under five years old, with at least one African descendant as immediate family. Dietary habits and nutritional status (WHO criteria) were assessed. WHO Anthro and SPSS 16.0 software were used. Results: 150 children were included. The median of age was 26.9 months (1.2-59.9 m), and 50.7% were males. The median maternal age was 28.3 years (16-49 years). Children with Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF, n=119) had a mean duration of 3.5±1.8 months (1-7m). 26.9% were exclusively breastfed during six months. The starting of complementary feeding was on average 5.2 months. The underweight prevalence (UW, zP/E &lt;- 2SD) was 7.3% (n=11). The acute malnutrition (AM, zP/T &lt;-2 SD) was 1.3% (n=2). The chronic malnutrition prevalence (CM, zT/E &lt;-2SD) was 12% (n=18) and the obesity prevalence was 6.7% (n=10). There was no association of nutritional status by sex and age of children, residence area, maternal education or EBF time (p&gt;0.05). Children with UW had a lower average of age of onset of complementary feeding (1.7 vs 4.9 months, p˂0.0001) compare with their pairs without malnutrition. Conclusion: Chronic malnutrition was the most prevalent chronic disease affecting over 1 in 10 children. Early initiation of complementary feeding could be a risk factor for malnutrition.

Factors Associated with Early Initiation of Complementary Feeding in Bishoftu Town, Oromia, Ethiopia

Background: Early initiation of complementary feeding which was widely documented in many countries exposed infants to increased risk of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of early initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors in Bishoftu Town, Oromia, Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted from January-February 2015 among 422 mothers of infant aged less than 6 months selected from four public health facilities. Prevalence of early initiation of complementary feeding was determined using “recall since birth” method. Multi-variable logistic regression analysis was employed to control confounders in determining association between early initiation of complementary feeding and selected independent variables. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR), 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and P < 0.05 were used to claim statistical significance. Results: The prevalence of early initiation of complementary feeding was 32.9% (137/416, 95% CI: 28.0, 37.0). The odd of mothers with delayed initiation of Breastfeeding was 4.76 times higher to expose their child to early complementary feeding than women who initiated breastfeeding within one hour after delivery with AOR 4.76 (95% CI; 2.48-9.13, P value < 0.001). This finding was a little higher than estimates of other studies. The odds of house wife mothers and mothers who delivered at health institution had 64% and 74% lower risk to early initiate complementary feeding than employed and home delivered mothers with AOR 0.34 (95% CI; 0.21, 0.55) and AOR 0.26 (95% CI; 0.08, 0.89), respectively. The odd of mothers who lacked knowledge on the duration of optimum breastfeeding duration was 3.91 times higher to practice early initiation of complementary feeding than who correctly knew it with AOR 3.91 (95%; 2.33, 6.54, P-value 0.001). Conclusions: Almost one third of mothers initiated early initiation of complementary feeding at four months of their child’s age. Encouraging all mothers to initiate breastfeeding within an hour, providing counseling service on recommended six-month duration of exclusive breastfeeding was recommended.

Early Initiation of Complementary Feeding and Associated Factors among 6 Months to 2 Years Young Children, in Kamba Woreda, South West Ethiopia: A Community ?Based Cross - Sectional Study

Background: Inadequate and inappropriate complementary feeding are major factors contributing to excess morbidity and mortality in young children in low resource settings. The early introduction of complementary feeds before the age of six months can lead to displacement of breast milk and increased risk of infections such as diarrhea, which further contributes to weight loss and malnutrition. Therefore the objective of this study is to assess early initiation of Complementary feeding and associated factors, in Kamba Woreda, South West Ethiopia. Methods: a community based cross sectional study was conducted in Kamba woreda, Gamo Gofa Zone, South West Ethiopia. The study was conducted on 562 mothers who have young child from 6 months to 2 years from December 2013 to January 2014 by using pre tested structured questioners. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis was conducted by SPSS version 20. Results: From all respondents 59.6% started complementary feeding before six months. Age of mothers those who are in age group ≥30, AOR 2.60(1.07 - 6.35) years, Education level those who have no formal education AOR 2.76(1.63 - 4.69), occupational of mothers those who work as daily worker AOR 3.06(1.03 - 9.12)and Private work activity(merchant, farmers) AOR 2.39(1.61-3.53), Mothers who have no post natal follow up for their child in Health service AOR( 1.64(1.05 - 2.55) were significantly associated factors for early initiation of complementary feeding in the study area. Conclusion and Recommendation: - A relatively high proportion of mothers start early complementary feeding, despite what is recommended in the national and global infant and young child feeding guidelines. Maternal age, educational statues ,occupational statues, mothers who has no PNC, and mothers who encountered medical illness at post natal period were significant predictors for early initiation of complementary feeding.

Complementary feeding practice of mothers and associated factors in Hiwot Fana Specialized Hospital, Eastern Ethiopia.

IntroductionMalnutrition remains one of the main public health problems. Over one third of under-five mortality is caused by under nutrition related to inadequate complementary feeding. This study was aimed to assess of complementary feeding practice and associated factors.MethodsCross sectional study design was conducted to assess complementary feeding practice of mothers to their young children in Hiwot Fana specialized hospital in January 2013. Systematic sampling method was used to select 200 mothers to child pair to assess their timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors. Data were collected by using semi-structured questionnaire for face to face interview method. Descriptive statistics, binary and multiple logistic regressions were used for data analysis.ResultsThe prevalence of timely initiate of complementary feeding was 60.5%. Nineteen percent of mothers were initiate complementary before 6 months. The reason for too early initiation of complementary feeding was lack of knowledge and perceive inadequate breast milk production by mothers 17(47.2%), 11(30.6%) respectively. Mothers have male child three times more likely timely initiate complementary feeding than female child (AOR 2.9,95% CI 1.2-7.3). This might be due to traditional gender norm that discriminate female feeding “female eat little talk little” this might start at early age life.ConclusionMore than half of them initiated complementary feeding timely which was low. The main reason reported by the mothers for early initiation of complementary feeding was lack of knowledge. Mothers who have male child were three times more likely timely initiate complementary feeding than female child. Information about importance of timely initiation of complementary feeding should be implemented via information education and behavioral change communications, and integrating with health extension package is recommended.

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

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.