Infancy Childhood Research Articles

Ishrana i globalna sigurnost hrane za očuvanje zdravlja

Every individual deserves access to healthy, affordable, and quality nutrition. Such access is hindered by deep inequalities stemming from unjust systems that structure everyday living conditions. The transformation of the food system into safe, improved, and healthy nutrition accessible to all is a crucial global issue. Healthy nutrition can play a significant role in the sustainability of the food system. Childhood obesity is a significant health problem in the developed world and affects many countries with low and middle incomes, particularly in urban areas. Unfortunately, obese children often remain obese in adulthood, increasing the likelihood of developing numerous chronic non-communicable diseases at a younger age. There is a clear link between infant and young child feeding practices and the socio-demographic characteristics of households. Breastfeeding up to the age of one is less common in wealthier households, urban environments, or among highly educated mothers. Combating malnutrition requires political dedication and simultaneous actions across multiple sectors, along with significant investments in program implementation and monitoring progress towards sustainable healthy nutrition.

The effect of the implementation of the international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes on child mortality in Ghana and Tanzania.

The International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes is an important instrument to protect and promote appropriate infant and young child feeding and the safe use of commercial milk formulas. Ghana and Tanzania implemented the Code into national legislation in 2000 and 1994, respectively. We aimed to estimate the effects of the Code implementation on child mortality (CM) in both countries. The countries analysed were Ghana and Tanzania. For CM and HIV rates, data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation from up to 2019 were used. Data for income and skilled birth rates were retrieved from the World Bank, for fertility from the World Population Prospects, for vaccination from the Global Health Observatory and for employment from the International Labour Organization. We used the synthetic control group method and performed placebo tests to assess statistical inference. The primary outcomes were CM by lower respiratory infections, mainly pneumonia, and diarrhoea and the secondary outcome was overall CM. One-sided inference tests showed statistically significant treatment effects for child deaths by lower respiratory infections in Ghana (P = 0·0476) and Tanzania (P = 0·0476) and for diarrhoea in Tanzania (P = 0·0476). More restrictive two-sided inference tests showed a statistically significant treatment effect for child deaths by lower respiratory infections in Ghana (P = 0·0476). No statistically significant results were found for overall CM. The results suggest that the implementation of the Code in both countries had a potentially beneficial effect on CM due to infectious diseases; however, further research is needed to corroborate these findings.

Improving complementary feeding practices, programs and policies for optimal early childhood nutrition in Kenya: What would work?

Complementary feeding practices are greatly influenced by local contexts. Therefore, national home-grown evidence, policiesand guidelines are critical to improving infant and young children's diets. This Special Issue has provided a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of the situation, gapsand context-specific opportunities for improving young children's diets in Kenya. The primary research findings of the Special Issue supported the identification of a set of recommendations articulated across the four systems (food, health, water, sanitation and hygiene[WASH]and social protection) to improve food availability and accessibility in Kenya at the national and subnational levels. It is anticipated that the decentralised government functions seen in Kenya provide a strong opportunity to develop and mainstream context-specific recommendations into action. This Special Issue recommends adopting a multi-sectoral systems approach, including a shared vision, joint planning, implementationand monitoring, towards improving young children's diets with a focus on service delivery as well as scaled-up community social behaviour change interventions. In particular, the approach should entail advocacy for policy revisions for service delivery that support complementary feeding and development of costed implementation strategies in support of the same, across four critical systems-food, health, WASHand social protection, along with, the strengthening of national coordination, monitoringand accountability structures as per the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan. Finally, the development of a legal framework for enhanced accountability from all relevant sectors towards sustainable, nutritious, safeand affordable children's diets. These recommendations provide a clear direction in addressing the complementary feeding challenges, which the primary research of this Special Issue has presented.

Micronutrient Hunger or Hidden Hunger Among Infants and Young Children on Healthy Diets.

"Hidden Hunger" refers to micronutrient deficiencies that are not necessarily reflected in anthropometric measurements and thus remain hidden. It affects 2 billion people globally, and occurs among infants and young children on a "healthy diet," as perceived by family members. Hidden hunger is recognizable with a high index of suspicion and hence the term "micronutrient hunger" has been proposed. Its effects are significant and include physical and mental impairment, poor health, low productivity, morbidity, and mortality. Data reported in the Global Hunger Index and Global Hidden Hunger Index are eye-openers in this context. Maternal deficiencies, changing breastfeeding trends, suboptimum infant and young child feeding practices, and universal availability and popularization of junk food result in emerging and re-emerging nutritional disorders that need to be addressed urgently. Strategies for addressing micronutrient malnutrition include supplementation, fortification, and dietary diversification. These interventions have benefits but are limited by context and resources. In the Indian context, universal salt iodization is successful; however, iron and folic acid supplementation for several decades has not produced the desired results. A multisectoral approach advocated at national and international levels with cross-disciplinary support is recommended. An overview of these issues along with practical solutions are highlighted in this manuscript.

Motivating and Hindering Factors Affecting Muslim Mothers' Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices in Select Municipalities of Maguindanao, BARMM, Philippines

Motivating and Hindering Factors Affecting Muslim Mothers' Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices in Select Municipalities of Maguindanao, BARMM, Philippines

Feeding Behaviour and Nutritional Status among Children Aged 6 to 23 Months Old in Bahi District in Tanzania.

The survival, well-being, and development of young children depend on optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. It is imperative to assess nutrition status and feeding behaviour practices in order to develop interventions. The objective of this study is to assess nutrition status, feeding behaviour, and its association with nutrition status among children aged 6 to 23 months old in Bahi district, Tanzania. A community-based, cross-sectional study was employed. A multistage sampling technique was used. Bahi district council, wards, and village were randomly selected, and then a systematic random sampling method was used to select participants. Anthropometric measurements were used to determine the nutrition status of children. Process for the Promotion of Child Feeding (ProPAN) manual guided assessment of feeding behaviours associated with nutrition status. Z-score was used to determine the level of malnutrition; the chi-square test and logistic regression were used as descriptive and inferential statistical tests, respectively, to determine the association between nutrition status and feeding behaviour. Out of 395 children aged between 6 and 23 months, 62.8% were stunted, 25.3% were underweight, and 6.6% were wasted. In the multivariable analysis, the results reveal that stunting was significantly associated with perception of exclusive breastfeeding (number of months) (AOR 4.24, 95%CI: 2.012-8.284) and number of feeds per day (AOR 2.02, 95%CI: 1.00-6.314). With regard to perception of exclusive breastfeeding (number of months), the children whose mothers perceived that children supposed to be breastfed for more than six months were four times more likely to be not stunted compared to those who were perceived to be breastfed less than three months, and the children whose mothers' fed them twice to three times were two times more likely to be not stunted compared to the children who were fed only two times. Bahi district council has a higher prevalence rate of stunting, underweight, and wasting among children aged 6 to 23 months. Feeding on the first colostrum, exclusive breastfeeding, and breastfeeding for more than six months are the main determinants of nutrition status.

Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices among Mothers Attending a Government Hospital

Background: Appropriate young children (from birth to two years of life) feeding practice is very crucial to boost up children’s survival and optimum growth and development. Early initiation of breastfeeding (within an hour of childbirth), exclusive breastfeeding for six months and providing nutritionally adequate and appropriate complementary feeding for six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond are the major components of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. The objective of the study was to find out the IYCF practices of mothers.
 Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional research was used and all 180 mothers attending government hospital of Biratnagar were the sample. Interview-based data collection was used by a self-developed, structured and semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics using SPSS version 25.0.
 Result: Less than half (40%) mothers started breastfeeding within an hour after delivery, 90.6% fed colostrum, 73.3% practiced exclusive breast feeding and 89.4% continued to feed breastmilk along with complementary feed to under two years children. Among mothers, 68.3% started feeding complementary food at appropriate age, 70.6% of the mothers fed minimum numbers of time or more according to their child age, 80% mothers used to provide diverse food and 66.1% children were receiving minimum acceptable diet.
 Conclusion: The prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding at 6 months, minimum dietary diversity, minimum feeding frequency and minimum acceptable diet were satisfactory as almost two third and more children have met minimum acceptable diet. However, practice of early initiation of breast feeding is still low.

Gambaran Tingkat Pengetahuan Ibu Tentang Stunting Pada Balita Di Puskesmas Kota Manna Kabupaten Bengkulu Selatan

Globally, stunting remains one of the main nutritional problems in infants and children under five years old. Stunting is a condition in children marked by length or height for age and sex less than -2 SD based on the World Health Organization (WHO) growth curve, due to chronic malnutrition associated with low socioeconomic conditions, poor nutritional intake and maternal health, a history of recurrent illness, and/or inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge of mothers about stunting in toddlers at the Puskesmas Kota Manna, South Bengkulu Regency. The method used in this research is quantitative research with descriptive research method. The population of this study were all mothers who had toddlers in the working area of the Puskesmas Kota Manna, South Bengkulu Regency in June 2023 with 20 samples selected using the random sampling method. The results of this study obtained the age of the majority of respondents aged in the range of 20-35 years as many as 18 people (90.0%), the minority aged> 35 years as many as 2 people (10.0%). The majority of respondents' education is junior high school as many as 8 people (40.0%), the minority of SARJANA is 5 people (25.0%). The majority of respondents' occupations were housewives as many as 14 people (70.0%) and a minority of civil servants as many as 2 people (10.0%). the majority of respondents' knowledge was lacking, namely 9 people (45.0%) and a minority of sufficient knowledge as many as 7 people (35.0%). Based on the results of the study, the majority of mothers' knowledge about stunting in toddlers at the Puskesmas Kota Manna, South Bengkulu Regency in 2023 was less as many as 9 people (45.0%).

The Effect of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) on the Knowledge and Attitudes of Integrated Healthcare Center Cadres

This study aims to determine the effect of Infant and young child feeding training on the knowledge and attitudes of Integrated Healthcare Center cadres in Teluk Lingga, East Kutai Regency. The research is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest and posttest (one group pretest-postest) research design conducted in March 2023 in the working area of the Teluk Lingga Health Center, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. A total of 51 cadres were involved as respondents by setting inclusion and exclusion criteria. IYCF variables are carried out by delivering material, counselors, and practices. The variables of knowledge and attitude were obtained using questionnaires that had been tested for validity and reliability. The data is then collected and then analyzed with the Paired-Sample T-Test. The difference in the level of knowledge of Integrated Healthcare Center cadres before and after being given IYCF training was 62.61 to 83.67 and obtained a p-value of 0.000. This means that there is an influence of IYCF training on the knowledge of Integrated Healthcare Center cadres. The attitude showed a difference in the attitude of Integrated Healthcare Center cadres before and after being given IYCF training with an average of 35.53, an increase of 42.96, and obtained a p-value of 0.000, which means that there is a significant difference between the average score on the pre-test and post-test. IYCF training has a significant effect on increasing the knowledge and attitudes of Integrated Healthcare Center cadres. We hope that this training will be carried out continuously.

Infant screen media and child development: A prospective community study.

The current study examined longitudinal associations between early screen media exposure (assessed at 6, 12, and 24months) and the child's motor and language/communication development at the ages of 24 and 36months. We also aimed to study whether these associations varied by socioeconomic status (SES). Participants were 179 parent-infant dyads, recruited from well-baby clinic services during routine visits. Child development measures included standardized measures of developmental milestones as assessed by professionals and referral data to child developmental centers. Both measures were retrieved from the official health maintenance organization records by an expert in child development. Results indicated that screen exposure at 6 and 12months was associated with a higher risk for language/communication deficits at 36months in children with moderate or high SES but not in children with low SES. Our findings are consistent with existing literature demonstrating cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between early screen exposure and language development deficits. Given that media use practices and motivations vary among families from different backgrounds, further investigation of the interaction between SES and screen exposure is needed.

Measles in infant children at the present stage

Today, measles continues to be one of the causes of death among infants and the development of severe complications, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.In the recent years, the epidemic patterns of measles have also changed: there is no periodicity, there is no influence of the seasonal factor, the age structure has changed, and the influence of social status is affecting.The purpose of our developments was to analyze the course of measles at the present stage, during the period of rising incidence in infants hospitalized in the Infectious Diseases Center of the Regional Clinical Hospital.The article presents clinical cases of measles in infants of a non-smooth course, with a layer of bacterial flora and the development of destructive pneumonia. Identification of the cause of the disease, lack of vaccination.

Association Between Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status Among Children Aged 6 to 24 Months in Terengganu

Infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) have an important role in defining children's nutritional status and optimizing a child's development rate in the first two years of life. This study aimed to determine the association between infant and young child feeding practices and the nutritional status of children aged 6 to 24 months in Kuala Nerus and Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu. A total of 293 mothers and children aged between 6 to 24 months were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Anthropometrics comprised weight and height/length. The nutritional status of the children, namely weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ), height/length-for-age z-scores (LAZ) and weight-for-length z-scores (WLZ) were generated based on WHO Child Growth Standard. IYCF practices among participants were determined using a validated questionnaire adapted from FAO. A total of 52.2% boys and 47.8% girls participated in this study. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children were 26.3%, 6.8%, and 14.7% respectively. The majority (70.6%) of the participants have good practice on IYCF. However, there is no significant association between IYCF practices and the nutritional status of the children (p>0.05). In conclusion, the majority of the participants have good practice with IYCF and only 1.7% have poor practice. Therefore, by promoting the IYCF practices, it can be a great tool to assess the health status of the children.

Validation of selected 2021 infant and young child feeding indicators for appropriate complementary feeding in relation to dietary adequacy and anthropometric status

Introduction: With the new set of 2021 infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators released by WHO and UNICEF, there is a need for its validation in the Philippine setting. The study evaluated the validity of cut-off points used for minimum dietary diversity and minimum feeding frequency in terms of micronutrient and energy intake adequacy, respectively, and minimum acceptable diet (MAD) in relation to anthropometric status. Methods: The study covered 8360 infants and young children aged 6-23.9 months with complete information on IYCF, anthropometric measurements, maternal information, and household characteristics from the 2018-2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS). Bivariate and correlation analyses using STATA version 15 (Corp LLC, Texas, USA 2017) were performed to determine the association of specific IYCF indicators: dietary diversity and feeding frequency with nutrient and energy intake adequacy, and MAD with anthropometric status. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed to evaluate the accuracy of dietary diversity score (DDS) and feeding frequency in identifying children with adequate nutrient and energy intakes, respectively. Results: Significant associations were found between DDS and micronutrient adequacy, and between feeding frequency and energy intake adequacy, regardless of breastfeeding status. A DDS of 5 and 6 and feeding frequency of 4-5 and 8 maximised sensitivity and specificity in identifying breastfed and non-breastfed children meeting 100% nutrient and energy adequacy, respectively. Conclusion: The selected 2021 complementary feeding indicators are practical guidelines to reflect dietary adequacy, but may not capture the entire process related to nutritional outcomes, especially stunting.

Impact of a Parent Education Program Delivered by Nurses and Health Care Providers in Reducing Infant Physical Abuse Hospitalization Rates in British Columbia, Canada.

The Period of PURPLE Crying Program® (PURPLE) is a universal parent education program that is delivered by nurses and health care providers to all parents/caregivers of newborns in British Columbia (B.C.). The aim of the program is to reduce the incidence of Traumatic Head Injury -Child Maltreatment (THI-CM), a form of child physical abuse. To determine if the PURPLE program had an impact on the rate of physical abuse hospitalizations for children less than or equal to 24 months of age in B.C. since implementation in 2009. The analysis measured physical abuse hospitalization rates for the period January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2019 and excluded any cases of confirmed Traumatic Head Injury-Child Maltreatment. Data were divided into pre-implementation period January, 1999 to December, 2008, and post-implementation period January, 2009 to December, 2019. Data were obtained from the Discharge Abstract Database and B.C. THI-CM Surveillance System to capture information on infant child abuse. Poisson regression and ANCOVA was applied to model the change in rates pre and post program implementation. Physical abuse hospitalization rates decreased by 30% post-implementation period (95% CI: -14%, 57%, p = 0.1561). The decreasing linear trend in the post-implementation period was significantly different than the increasing linear trend in the pre-implementation period (F1,17 = 4.832, p = 0.042). Nurses' role in engaging parents in conversations about PURPLE messages over multiple timepoints within a structured universal program model resulted in a decrease in physical abuse hospitalization rates since the implementation of PURPLE.

Probability of Inappropriate Complementary Feeding Practices on Children Aged 6-23 Months in Indonesia: Results of Indonesian Demographic Health Survey in 2017

Background: One of the causes of the double burden of nutrition problems in Indonesia is the early feeding of complementary feeding. The practice of providing complementary feeding in several countries, including Indonesia, has not reached the target and it is not yet known the magnitude of the probability of complementary feeding not following the recommendations in Indonesia based on national survey data. 
 Objective. To identify the risk factors for the failure of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practice in urban and rural NTT.
 Objectives: This study aims to determine the Probability of inappropriate complementary feeding practices in Children aged 6-23 Months in Indonesia and the factors that influence it. 
 Methods: The research design uses cross-sectional studies. The data is sourced from the 2017 Indonesian Health Demographic Survey (IDHS) results. The sample was selected from women of childbearing age in IDHS 2017, namely women of childbearing age aged 15-49 years who had children aged 6-23 months who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of 4,985 children. The data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression. 
 Results: The practice of giving complementary feeding according to recommendations in children aged 6-23 months in Indonesia is only 55.53%. Socio-economic status is very poor (p= 0.000; OR=1.785; 95% CI 1.44-2.213), rural residence (p= 0.000; OR=1.168; 95% CI 1.025-1.33), lower education (p= 0.002; OR=1.398; 95% CI 1.149-1.702), and grande multipara parity (p= 0.001; OR=1.57; 95% CI 1.238-1.992) is significantly associated with the practice of giving complementary feeding not by the recommendations.
 Conclusions: The probability of the practice of giving complementary feeding is not by the recommendation of 86% due to the socio-economic status of very poor families living in rural areas, low maternal education levels, and mothers with grande-multipara parity. It is necessary to improve the socio-economics of the family through the empowerment of mothers and families, increase access to health services in rural areas, improve maternal education through various programs, and intensify family planning programs to limit the number of children in the family.

Biochemical and Haematological Parameters of Children Fed Optimized Cereal-legume Blend supplemented with Moringa leaf Powder

Childhood malnutrition is still a serious public health problem in Nigeria. This may be attributed to poor infant and young child feeding practices. In a bid to address this challenge, the current study was initiated to produce optimal complementary foods (CF). Six composite blends designated F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, and F6 were formulated from yellow maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum), millet (Pennisetum glaucum), groundnut (Arachis hypogea), soyabeans (Glycine max), and Moringa oleifera. Nutrisurvey was used to calculate the proportion of ingredients in the composite blends to meet nutritional specification in codex guideline. Nutritional composition, functional and consumer acceptance analyses were conducted, as well as feeding trials in moderately malnourished children for eight weeks. Anthropometric, biochemical and selected haematological parameters of the children were used to assess the performance of the CF formulations. Results of proximate analysis indicated that moisture content; crude protein, fat, ash, crude fibre, and carbohydrate were within the codex guidelines. The amino acid profile indicated that all essential amino acids were present in acceptable quantity. The functional properties revealed that bulk density ranged from 0.63-0.81, water absorption capacity 86-90%, swelling index 0.33-1.34, reconstitution index 2.20-3.20, and pH 6.52-6.69. The sensory evaluations suggest that the CF formulations were well accepted by the participants. The feeding trial indicated growth and recovery in the children at Endline. The current study therefore, revealed that with proper blending of local foodstuff, it is possible to prepare acceptable and nutritionally adequate CF.

Deteriorating complementary feeding practices and dietary quality in Jordan: Trends and challenges.

Quality complementary feeding (CF) of infants and young children is key to their growth and development. But in Jordan, providing appropriate CF remains a challenge. This study assesses trends in infant and young child feeding (IYCF)practices, and consumption by infants and young children aged 6-23 months of breast milk substitutes (BMSs), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and micronutrient-rich foods in Jordan from 1990 to 2017. We combined dietary data on infants and young children from six Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)(n = 14,880 children) to compute IYCF indicators. The latter included minimum dietary diversity (MDD),minimum meal frequency (MMF),and minimum acceptable diet (MAD),as well as intake of micronutrient-rich foods and food groups, specific SSBs, and infant formula. We conducted trend analyses using logistic regression models adjusted for child's age in month, child age squared, governorates, urban/rural residence, mother's educational attainment, and household wealth quintiles. We found that the proportion of consumption of micronutrient-rich food groups declined significantly between 1990 and 2017, with fewer infants and young children consuming eggs (OR = 0.39, p ≤ 0.001, 2002 reference), meat, poultry, and fish (OR = 0.25, p ≤ 0.001, 2002 reference), dairy (OR = 0.59, p ≤ 0.001, 2002 reference) and Vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (OR = 0.66, p ≤ 0.001, 2002 reference). Conversely, there was increased use of BMSs and sugar-sweetened juices that paralleled a decline in the share of infants and young children meeting appropriate CF practices and consuming micronutrient-rich foods and food groups. By 2017, children aged 6-23 months were significantly less likely to meet MDD, MMF, and subsequently MAD; the odds of consuming BMSs were almost three times the reference (OR = 3.8, p ≤ 0.001, 1990 reference), as werethe odds of consumingsugar sweetened juices (OR = 3.63, p ≤ 0.001, 1990 reference). Food insecurity and undernutrition are low in Jordan; however, overweight and obesity rates are increasing concurrently as are micronutrient deficiencies. This highlights the need for policymakers to address factors at individual and household levels (behaviours and practices) as well as environmental issues (increasing access to unhealthy and ultraprocessed foods).

Barriers to appropriate complementary feeding and the use of ultra-processed foods: A formative qualitative study from rural Oromia, Ethiopia.

Children's consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is increasing in Ethiopia, but relatively little is known about the specific feeding practices that underlie this pattern. The objective of this study was to explore patterns of consumption of UPF by infants and young children within a broader context of inappropriate complementary feeding practices in extremely poor households in rural Oromia, Eastern Ethiopia. A formative qualitative study was conducted using semistructured interview questionnaires developed drawing on a socioecological model. A total of 16 focus group discussions with mothers (45 respondents), fathers (21 respondents)and grandmothers (23 respondents) of children aged 6-23 months in households that were beneficiaries of the Productive Safety Net Program were conducted, along with four key informant interviews with health workers. Qualitative transcripts were complemented with field notesbefore qualitative content analysis was applied. The key findings suggest that UPF were widely provided to infants and young children as part of a pattern of suboptimal complementary feeding, including both early and late initiation of complementary foods. In particular, UPF (including juice, biscuitsand lipid-based nutrient supplements) were diluted with or dissolved in water and fed to infants via bottle, often before the recommended age of initiation of 6 months. Mothers and caregivers reported that they perceived the products to be affordably priced and packaged, ready to use and convenient given their time constraints. The level of consumption of UPF and its effects on infant and young child feeding feeding practices and children's nutritional status in rural Ethiopia should be further explored.

Étude d’un cas de filicide : Fabienne Kabou

ObjectivesThe main objective of our study is to contribute to a better understanding of filicidal acts by mothers during the postnatal period. Fabienne Kabou's filicide of her 15-month-old daughter, sheds light on the psychic and psychopathological issues involved in the act. We will also use this case to identify the factors of vulnerability and risk which contributed to the filicide. MethodOur method is to focus on the singularity of this case while at the same time looking for similarities with other cases of women who have committed this type of act. The story of Fabienne Kabou will be presented up to the point if her murderous act, followed by a discussion of the multiplicity and complexity of the related issues involved. ResultsThe results of our study show that while her psychiatric pathology has been shown to be a major factor of vulnerability from the beginning of her pregnancy until the filicide, in our research we have emphasized that no grid of risk factors has yet been developed to facilitate the prevention of homicides committed by women on their infant children. ConclusionHowever, we estimate that it is possible to identify, from the case of Fabienne Kabou, those risk factors that are conducive to committing such an act, such as social isolation, lack of family support, repeated social breakdowns, financial and material dependence, and the impossibility of sharing the intimacy of her motherhood with anyone. We therefore asked ourselves how this type of filicide could be prevented in such cases of psychic and social isolation, and what tools could be created through future research to better prevent such acts.

A cross-sectional study of feeding practice status in children (6–23 months), association with malnutrition, and impacts of maternal determinants

Background: Inadequate complementary feeding practices lead to poor cognition, stunting, and increased rate of infections. Insight into deficiencies of complementary feeding practices could help in planning and implementing newer approaches at various levels of intersection. Aims and Objectives: The aim and purpose of the study were to determine the complementary feeding practices, to identify maternal determinants of each practice, and to analyze the associations between complementary feeding practices with malnutrition. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, of a tertiary hospital over a 14-week period. All children aged 6–23 months were included in the study. Data were collected using a pre-structured questionnaire based on the World Health Organization Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) indicators for assessing IYCF practices. Results: A total of 400 mothers participated in the study. The mean age of children was 12.58 20±5.02 months, male: female = 1.6:1. The mean age of starting complementary feeding was 6.81±1.79 months. Semisolid food was introduced in 90.2% of children, minimum dietary diversity was received by 61.0%, minimum meal frequency by 83.8%, and minimum acceptable diet by 58.2%, eggs and flesh by 14.2% and 3.5% children, respectively; only 9.2% received vitamin A rich fruits and 38.5% did not receive any vegetable or fruit. Bottle feeding was present in 55.5% of population. Maternal parameters (education, employment access to media) and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with feeding practices (P<0.05). A significant difference was found in the nutritional status (wasting and stunting) of children who did not receive minimum dietary diversity (P<0.01). Conclusion: Wide gap exists in feeding practices even in urban settings and was significantly associated with child’s nutritional status.