Rural Area Of Puducherry Research Articles

A cross sectional study on optimal infant and young child feeding practices with reference to WHO indicators in a rural area of Puducherry

Background: Optimal infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) are essential to address the increasing burden of malnutrition and for the overall development of the children. The present study was conducted to estimate the proportion of optimal infant and young child feeding practices among rural children aged 0 to 23 months and study the associated socio demographic factors.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 children in the age group of 0 to 23 months in a rural field practice area of a medical college in Puducherry. Data on IYCF practices were collected using a standardized tool developed by WHO. Core and optional IYCF indicators were calculated. Chi-square test and Fishers’ exact test were used as tests of significance.Results: Almost 88.0% of infants were initiated early on breastfeeding and 90.8% were exclusively breastfed for six months. Children who were continuously breastfed at one year and two years were 77.4% and 22.4% respectively. About 75.0% were introduced with solid or semisolid foods at 6 to 8 months of age. Among children aged 6 to 23 months, 77.3% had the recommended minimum dietary diversity, 81.3% had the minimum meal frequencies, while 57.7% received the minimum acceptable diet and only 39.4% consumed iron rich foods. Gender was significantly associated with the practice of continued breastfeeding at one year, adequate minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency.Conclusions: The core and optional IYCF indicators were acceptably good in the initial six months of life but thereafter showed suboptimal levels, which should be emphasized among the mothers or primary care givers.

Maternal risk factors for low birth weight in neonates - A community-based prospective study in rural area of Puducherry

Background: The health of childbearing women and infants is a major area of concern, which needs special attention. The pregnancy outcome depends on the maternal characteristics which include the utilization of Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) services during pregnancy period. In view of the above, an attempt has been made to study the maternal characteristics and its impact on perinatal outcomes among rural women in India. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to find the incidence of delivering low birth weight (LBW) infants and to examine the association between delivering LBW infants and maternal characteristics. Materials and Methods: A community-based longitudinal study was conducted in Bahour Commune Panchayat of Puducherry, for 1 year and 3 months from January 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013. A total of 258 pregnant women registered in the Anganwadi centres serving Bahour Commune Panchayat from 1st January 2012 to 31st May 2012, and they were selected by universal sampling method, of those 244 pregnant women were responded. They interviewed with the help of questionnaire and followed until delivery. Results: The incidence of delivering LBW infants was 8.6%. Maternal characteristics including utilization of RCH services such as maternal body mass index (BMI), weight gain during pregnancy, maternal hemoglobin, and blood pressure level, history of previous abortion status, and intake of iron and folic acid tablets during pregnancy were significantly associated with the birth weight of the infants by univariate analysis. Some of the above factors such as religion, blood pressure level, and maternal BMI were found to be significantly associated with multivariate analysis also. Conclusions: Overall, integrated approach is needed to improve the health care and utilization of RCH services during pregnancy to reach the better outcomes.

Assessment of dietary habits and nutritional status among adolescent girls in a rural area of Puducherry: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Background Adolescence is a crucial period for growth and dietary habit formation among females for leading a healthy life in future. Objective To assess the dietary habits and nutritional status using the body mass index (BMI) among adolescent girls from a rural village in Puducherry. Methodology This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted during February 2017 among 252 adolescent girls in rural Puducherry. A semi-structured pre-tested interview schedule was used to obtain information on socio-demographic details and dietary habits from adolescent girls. Height and weight were measured by standard techniques recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Nutritional status was assessed according to the WHO BMI for age for 5-19 years. Regular and occasional food consumption were defined as consumption of particular items >3 and <3 times a week, respectively. Results Mean age of the participants was 13.79 + 2.11 years and 91.3% were non-vegetarians. The majority of adolescent girls ate cereals (97.4%) and pulses (54%) regularly. However, regular vegetable (34.5%) and fruit (13.1%) consumption was low. Only about 10% and <2% had regular consumption of milk and iron-rich vegetables and fruits, respectively. Regular consumption of junk food items was found among 5.6%. Prevalence of thinness among adolescent girls was 10.7% (95% CI: 7.3-15) and overweight was 13.5% (95% CI: 9.7-18.1). Conclusion In this adolescent population, though consumption of cereals and pulses were adequate and satisfactory, the consumption of fruits, vegetables and iron/calcium rich foods was inadequate and poor. About one-fourth of adolescent girls had an abnormal nutritional status. Hence, focused nutritional and health-education intervention should be given to encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables, iron-rich and calcium-rich food items.

Prevalence and associated factors for social phobia among school-going adolescents in a rural area of Puducherry, South India

The World Health Organisation has reported that mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Social phobia is one such mental disorder that can have significant impact on the livelihood of adults if not detected at an early stage. There have been very few studies done on social phobia among adolescents in South India. Hence, this study was done to determine the prevalence of social phobia and factors associated with it among the school-going adolescents in rural Puducherry. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1018 school going adolescents from December 2017 to January 2018 in rural Puducherry. Information on socio-demographic characteristics was collected by a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and social phobia was assessed using the validated Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) questionnaire. Among 1018 participants, 738 (72.5%) belonged to early adolescence (10-13 years); 520 (51.1%) were boys; 557 (54.7%) were studying in a middle class; 931 (91.5%) were Hindus; 978 (96.1%) had siblings.The prevalence of social phobia among adolescents was found to be 22.9% (95% CI: 20.4-25.5%). The prevalence of mild social phobia was 18% [95% confidence interval (CI): 15.7-20.4%], moderate social phobia was 4% (95% CI: 2.9-5.4%), severe social phobia was 0.7% (95% CI: 0.3-1.3%) and very severe social phobia was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.03-0.64%). Higher age, female gender, lack of counselling services and specialist visits at school were found to be determinants of social phobia. The current study showed that one in every five adolescents was at risk of developing social phobia. Health education for students, teachers and family members needs to be given to make them aware of the importance of social phobia.

A community based study on awareness of organ donation among young adults in rural areas of Puducherry

Background: The objective of the study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding organ donation in a selected rural adult population in Pondicherry.Methods: Simple random sampling was used to generate a sample of 100 in rural service areas of IGMC&amp;RI. Face to face interview was conducted based on a pre-tested questionnaire in selected rural areas of Pondicherry. Data was analysed using SPSS v.22 and associations were tested using the Pearson's Chi square test.Results: 66% of the participants in this survey had adequate knowledge score for organ donation. Knowledge about organ donation was significantly associated with employment status (p=0.025). Television emerged as the major source of information. Only 19% had donated an organ. All (19%) were volunteers who have donated blood.Conclusions: Better knowledge may ultimately translate into the act of donation. Effective measures should be taken to educate people with relevant information with the involvement of media and doctors.

Food allergy and allergens associated with bronchial asthma among school children in an urban and rural area of Puducherry, India: a cross-sectional study

Background: Food allergy is mostly IgE-mediated which is estimated to affect 6% to 8% children and 3% to 4% adults the clinical and social impact of which takes a hard toll in early childhood. The objective is to study the magnitude of food allergy and differences in food allergens among the urban and rural school-going children.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 school going children, aged 5-10 years, attending to two private schools (n=192) and two government schools (n=158) in the urban and rural field practice areas respectively and data regarding food allergens was collected using a semi-structured proforma.Results: There was a significant higher (p&lt;0.001) proportion of wheeze symptomatics among the urban (n=70, 44.3%) than the rural students (n=37, 19.3%). The students had higher allergies to Ice-cream (14.57%, n=51), prawn (11.14%, n=39), peanut (14.57%, n=51), garlic (14.57%, n=51), fish (11.14%, n=39) and milk (11.14%, n=39).Conclusions: There was a higher proportion of food allergy among the urban school students compared to the rural students. The food allergens also varied significantly in their influence on food allergy among the urban and rural areas.

Psychological distress, hopelessness and health service needs of late adolescents in rural Pondicherry, South India

Background: Late adolescence (15-19 years) is a period which entails stress and specific physical and mental health needs. The Objectives were to study the prevalence of psychological distress, hopelessness, and health service needs of late adolescence in rural Puducherry.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in a service practice area of Jawaharlal Institute Rural Health centre (JIRHC) during July-August 2015. A pretested questionnaire was used to obtain demographic characteristics, health service needs and substance abuse among adolescents and their family members. Self-administered GHQ-12 questionnaire and becks hopelessness scale was used to assess the psychological distress and hopelessness respectively.Results: Of the total 324 participants, 170 (53%) were females. The mean (SD) age was 15.9 (1.3) years. One fifth of the adolescents (20.9%) had psychological distress. Moderate level of hopelessness was seen in 32 (10%) adolescents. Substance abuse was found in 125 (39%) of the family members of adolescents and 55 (44%) had problems at home related to the substance abuse. On multivariate analysis, problem in household due to substance abuse was the single independent risk factor [aOR 2.6; 95%CI (1.1-6.0)] for psychological distress. Majority of females expressed their need for an exclusive adolescent clinic (58%), sexual &amp; reproductive awareness (67.5%) and information about contraception (67.4%). The need for mental health services was higher in females compared to males (55.6% vs. 44.3%), which was statistically significant (p&lt;0.05).Conclusions: In rural area of Puducherry, one out of five adolescents had psychological distress and ten percentages of adolescents had moderate level of hopelessness requiring mental health and counselling services.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with underweight among under-five children in a rural area of Puducherry

Background: Nutrition has been recognized as a basic pillar for social and economic development. One in every three malnourished children in the world lives in India. The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence and to study the selected factors associated with underweight among the under-five children in a rural area of Puducherry. Aims: This study aims to study the prevalence of underweight among children under-five years of age and to study the associated risk factors. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of 13 months with a sample size of 500. The anthropometric assessments were taken and plotted on the Indian Academy of Pediatrics growth charts.Results: The prevalence of underweight was found to be 23.8%. The age of the child, gender, socioeconomic status, duration of exclusive breast feeds, birth order, and birth weight were found to have statistical significance in underweight. However, the maternal education did not show any significance in underweight. Conclusion: Nutritional status of under-five years children is one of the important indicators of overall development of community and thus country. Intervention to reduce the burden of underweight should be directed toward the education of the mothers regarding the importance of nutrition by community health workers.

Quality assessment of nutritional components of Integrated Child Development Services provided in rural Puducherry

Background: The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is a large program started with the main objective of improving health, nutrition, and development of children. Over a period of 37 years, the system laid foundation for integration of health services to children. The three forms of nutritional benefits are hot cooked meal (HCM), take-home ration (THR), and ready-to-eat food. This made the utilization varies from place to place. To explore more information on the quality of nutrition provided by ICDS program, this community-based study was planned and undertaken in selected rural areas of Puducherry. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional components of ICDS schemes provided for under-five children in rural Puducherry. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in March, 2015 in 14 villages of Bahour Commune, Puducherry. A total of 27 Anganwadis were selected by simple random method. A checklist was prepared based on the guidelines issued by Government of India. Details regarding child’s attendance to the Anganwadi centre during past 2 months, number of days HCM were consumed by the child, THRs issued to the child, quality of food served, and relish of food among children was recorded. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22.0 computer software. Results: The mean days of attendance of the children to the Anganwadi centre during past 1 month were 19 ± 3 days. About 83.7% of children attended more than 15 days in a month. In majority of the Anganwadis (81.5%), food was stored in safe place, free from rodents, and pests. In 77.8% of the Anganwadis, food was served to the children in a clean area, and in 70.4% of Anganwadis, safe drinking water was amenable. Overall, about half of the children (225) relished the food served. Conclusion: The quality of supplementary nutrition services in the ICDS centres was good. Attendance proportion of the children to Anganwadi centres was increased when HCM was served.

Climate change education for school students-activity-based teaching learning approach to create knowledge, attitudes skills and behavioural change

While a number of studies and synthesis reports have concluded that climate change is inevitably underway due primarily to anthropogenic impacts, most of the school children in India are still unaware, unconcerned and ignorant on the serious issue of climate change. In this context, an innovative climate change education (CCE) initiative was launched for the first time among school students in Puducherry and Villupuram districts, Tamil Nadu in order to promote knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour on the climate change issues. The sample size consisted of 180 students from two middle schools from urban and rural areas of Puducherry and Villupuram districts. The selected students were divided into two groups in which 45 students were experimental and the remaining 45 were kept as control groups for each school. The experimental group students were facilitated with the CCE program. It could be concluded that the multiple teaching, learning approach is more effective among school children.

Awareness and perceptions regarding common cancers among adult population in a rural area of Puducherry, India.

BACKGROUND:Awareness regarding cancer signs and symptoms and their screening and treatment method was low in India.OBJECTIVES:To assess the awareness level of common cancers, perception regarding prevention and treatment of common cancers, association between sociodemographic variables with the awareness level of common cancers in the adult population.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 299 adults from the field practice areas of Our Rural Health Centre, Puducherry, during April–May 2014. Using systematic random sampling, 299 adults were interviewed through a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Chi-square test was used.RESULTS:Nearly, 64% were in the age group of ≥40 years, the majorities were females (56.2%) and 64% were in lower socioeconomic class. Symptoms reported majorities were unusual bleeding (41.6%), followed by nagging cough (34.1%). Risk factors reported majorities were smoking (65%), chewing tobacco (59%) followed by alcohol use (46.5%). Only 10% reported cancer could be diagnosed early and 27% perceived cancer could be preventable. Only 6% perceived cancer could be cured fully. The adequate awareness level regarding lung and oral cancer were 14%, but breast and cervical cancer were <5%. The younger age group (<40 years) had more adequate awareness level compared to age group ≥40 years (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:The awareness level of common cancers was very poor. Vigorous health education program should improve the status of early diagnosis and proper treatment for common cancers such as oral, breast, and cervical cancer.

Comparison of World Health Organization growth standards with Indian Academy of Pediatrics growth charts of under-five children in a rural area of Puducherry

Aim: The aim of our study was to compare the World Health Organization (WHO) and Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) growth charts by assessing the height for age and weight for age among children under 5 years of age. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted over a period of 13 months with a sample size of 500. The anthropometric assessments were taken and plotted on both WHO and IAP growth charts. Results: The WHO and IAP charts regarding weight were comparable for both boys and girls. However, the height chart in WHO showed more stunting as compared to IAP growth charts, with the difference between the two being statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: India's own growth standards (IAP growth charts) may be more ideal for assessing growth than WHO growth standards, especially as regards height of children.

Social Development of Adolescence in Rural Area of Puducherry

The domain of social intelligence and development is a critical component of descriptions of human ability and behaviour. Social skills are important for preparing young people to mature and succeed in their adult roles within the family, workplace, and community. For educators, it is increasingly obvious that learning is ultimately a social process. The present study was conducted on the rural area of Puducherry to find out ‘Social development of Adolescence in rural area of Puducherry’. Total 120 adolescent were selected for the study. Data were analysed using median and t-test. Results (1) based on the median value shows that there is social development in Overall sample, Boys, Children of both literate Parents and Children of single literate Parents. On the other hand Girls, adolescence belongs to other backward caste, scheduled caste and Children of both illiterate parents have poor social development. (2) based on t-test shows that there is no significance of difference between the sub-samples of (i) Boys and Girls (ii) Other backward community and Scheduled community (iii) Children of both literate Parents and Children of both illiterate Parents (iv) Children of both literate Parents and Children of single literate Parents (v) Children of both illiterate Parents and Children of single literate Parents.

Prevalence of under-nutrition, associated factors and perceived nutritional status among elderly in a rural area of Puducherry, South India

BackgroundUnder-nutrition among elderly goes undetected, despite their nature of vulnerability to it. Majority of the available literature assessed under nutrition in the facility based settings. We aimed to determine the prevalence of under-nutrition and its associated factors among elderly, in a rural setting. MethodsA community based cross sectional survey was conducted among elderly in one of the randomly selected sub centre catchment area in rural Puducherry, south India. Information on socio demographic characteristics, morbidities and perception on their nutritional status were obtained. Anthropometric measures such as weight and arm span were measured by trained medical graduate as per the standard guidelines. Bodymass index (BMI) less than 18.5kg/m2 was considered as under-nutrition. ResultsOf total 296 elderly in the study setting, 271 (92%) participated in the study. The prevalence of under nutrition among the elderly was 24.8% (95% CI: 19.7–30.3). More than half of the elderly (58.7%) perceived their nutritional status as poor; of them 28.9% were actually under-nourished. Mean (SD) BMI scores were higher for elderly women compared to that of men [elderly women vs men: 22 (4.6)kg/m2 vs 21 (3.8)kg/m2, p=0.03]. In multivariate analysis, being an elderly male, age more than 70 years and per capita income less than 1000 INR were found to be significantly associated with under-nutrition. ConclusionIn this rural area, one fourth of elderly were under nourished. Urgent inter-sectoral measures including food security programs are required to address this huge nutritional problem in this vulnerable group.

The prevalence of domestic violence and its associated factors among married women in a rural area of Puducherry, South India.

Background:Violence against women is an emerging problem worldwide and more so in India. Considering its adverse effects on women's health, assessing the burden of violence in the community will help in planning services for the victims.Objectives:To determine the prevalence of domestic violence and to identify factors associated with domestic violence among married women in reproductive age group in rural Puducherry.Materials and Methods:A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in a rural area of Puducherry, South India. Married women in reproductive age group were interviewed using structured pretested questionnaire. Domestic violence was assessed using 12 questions that were used in National Family Health Survey-3. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression to identify factors associated with violence.Results:Of 310 study participants, 56.7% of them reported some form of domestic violence, 51.3% reported psychological violence, 40% reported physical violence, and 13.5% reported sexual violence. A statistically significant association was found between illiteracy of women and domestic violence (AOR: 4.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.1–15.7 P: 0.03). The other factors such as love marriage and nonregistration of marriage were significantly associated with violence.Conclusion:The prevalence of domestic violence was found to be high in this rural setting. Multisectoral response such as improving literacy, creating awareness regarding legal aid and screening the victims of violence at primary health centers, should be initiated to mitigate this public health issue.

Prevalence of low back pain and its relation to quality of life and disability among women in rural area of Puducherry, India

Background: The level of quality of life (QOL) and disability among women with low back pain is an important health issue at global level. Objective: To find out the prevalence of low back pain and to assess the relationship of low back pain with disability and QOL among women. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 women in age group of 30-65 years residing in field practice area of a Tertiary Care Medical Institution, Puducherry. Severity of the pain was assessed using Numerical Pain Scale. Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire was used to measure the disability level and WHO-BREF scale to assess the QOL among women with low back pain. Results: Overall, the prevalence of low back pain was found to be 42%. The majority of women (60.9%) with low back pain experienced moderate disability. Almost 72% of women with low back pain perceived their QOL as good and overall mean QOL score was 88.41 (standard deviation = 12.9). The low back pain was influenced by the demographic variables that include age, marital status, illiteracy, total family income, type of delivery, number of children and household chores, menopausal status, and chronic illness (P < 0.05). Disability was influenced by age, education, and occupation, whereas QOL was influenced by education of the women with low back pain (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Prevalence of low back pain among women was comparatively more than other studies in India. Although moderate disability was more among those with low back pain, overall QOL was good.

Prevalence of acute respiratory infection among under-five children in urban and rural areas of puducherry, India.

Introduction:The incidence of Acute respiratory infections (ARI) is high among under-five children, especially in developing countries. However, the data on ARI from rural and urban areas in India are scarce.Objective:To estimate the prevalence of ARI and selected associated factors among under-five children.Materials and Methods:A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in urban and rural areas of Puducherry, India. Data were collected from 509 parents of under-five children regarding ARI incidence along with socio-demographic and selected associated factors.Results:Overall prevalence of ARI was observed to be 59.1%, with prevalence in urban and rural areas being 63.7% and 53.7%, respectively. Bivariate analysis indicated that overcrowding, place of residence, and mother's education were significantly associated with ARI. Multiple logistic regression analysis suggested that presence of overcrowding (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.492), urban residence (AOR = 2.329), and second birth order (AOR = 0.371) were significant predictors of ARI.Conclusion:The prevalence of ARI is high, particularly in urban areas. Improvement of living conditions may help in reduction of burden of ARI in the community.

A Community-based Study to Estimate the Prevalence and Determinants of Hypertension in a Rural Area of Puducherry

Objectives: The objective was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and its determinants in a rural setting of Puducherry. Materials and Methods: A community-based study for the duration of 2 years (March 2012-February 2014) was conducted among persons aged 25 years and above, residing in two villages of Puducherry. Single-stage cluster random sampling was employed and subjects were enrolled based on the fulfillment of inclusion criteria. Institutional Ethics Committee permission was obtained prior to the start of the study. SPSS version 16 was used for statistical analysis. Chi-square and unpaired t-tests were employed to study the association between risk factors and hypertension. Results: The prevalence of hypertension in the study population was 24.7%, with higher prevalence being observed in males (28.7%) than females (21.0%). The statistical analysis revealed a significant association between reduced physical activity/week, addiction to smoking and alcohol, abdominal obesity, high salt intake, and presence of hypertension. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was higher in the study subjects residing in rural areas of Puducherry. However, the positive association between the common lifestyle related parameters and presence of hypertension suggest that there is a significant scope to create awareness about these risk factors among the rural population.

A Community-based Cross-sectional Study of Cardiovascular Risk in a Rural Community of Puducherry.

Background:The World Health Organization (WHO) / International Society of Hypertension (ISH) risk prediction chart can predict the risk of cardiovascular events in any population.Aim:To assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and to estimate the cardiovascular risk using the WHO/ISH risk charts.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was done from November 2011 to January 2012 in a rural area of Puducherry. Method of sampling was a single stage cluster random sampling, and subjects were enrolled depending on their suitability with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data collection tool was a piloted and semi-structured questionnaire, while WHO/ISH cardiovascular risk prediction charts for the South-East Asian region was used to predict the cardiovascular risk. Institutional Ethics committee permission was obtained before the start of the study. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 16 and appropriate statistical tests were applied.Results:The mean age in years was 54.2 (±11.1) years with 46.7% of the participants being male. On application of the WHO/ISH risk prediction charts, almost 17% of the study subjects had moderate or high risk for a cardiovascular event. Additionally, high salt diet, alcohol use and low HDL levels, were identified as the major CVD risk factors.Conclusion:To conclude, stratification of people on the basis of risk prediction chart is a major step to have a clear idea about the magnitude of the problem. The findings of the current study revealed that there is a high burden of CVD risk in the rural Puducherry.

Feeding Practices and Morbidity Pattern of Infants in a Rural Area of Puducherry-A Follow Up Study

The feeding practices and illness during infancy are of critical importance for the growth and development of children. Though several programmes have been implemented by GOI along with WHO and UNICEF to improve the health status of newborns and infants, child morbidity and mortality rates in rural areas are still higher compared to urban areas in India. Objectives: To study the infant feeding practices, morbidity pattern and care given to infants in a rural area of Puducherry. Methodology: A longitudinal study done in Bahour commune from 1st April 2012 to 31st March 2013. Information regarding background/socio-demographic details, infant feeding practices; and morbidity pattern were recorded in semi-structured questionnaire by house to house visit. Total of 136 infants born during Jan-March 2012 were enrolled. Data were presented as percentages, ratios and Chi-square test was used to find association among variables. p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of study infants during each visit was 3, 8 and 12 months respectively. 64.7% mother’s breastfed their infants within an hour after birth and 72% infants were exclusively breastfed till six months and 5.9% newborns were given prelacteal feed. The incidence of fever, diarrhoea and breathing difficulty were 2.9, 2.9 and 1.8 episodes/ child/ year respectively. On average 93% of mothers continued breastfeeding and gave excess oral fluid during an episode of diarrhoea. Morbidity among children was significantly associated with breastfeeding practices with exclusive breastfed children suffered less in the study area (p<0.05). Conclusions: The overall infant feeding pattern and care given during illness was good among mothers. However, Practices like giving pre-lacteal feed; stopping EBF before six months are still practiced in the study area. Therefore, faulty rearing practices need to be addressed to improve the health status of the infants.