Timely Initiation Of Complementary Feeding Research Articles

Timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors among mothers having children aged 6 to 24 months in North-West Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe timely introduction of complementary foods during infancy is necessary for nutritional reasons, and to enable the transition from milk feeding to family foods. In the past years, despite efforts that have been put to increase the utilization of timely initiation of complementary feeding practice in Ethiopia, improvements are not satisfactory.ObjectiveTo compare the prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding and its associated factors among mothers who have Children 6–24 months in Debre Tabor town and rural Farta district, North-west Ethiopia, 2021.MethodsA community-based comparative cross-sectional study was employed from December 1/2020 to 30/ 2020 among 1100 mothers. Data were collected using a structured questioner and analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions. Logistic regression analysis with a 95% confidence interval carried out to determine the association between explanatory and the outcome variables. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding among urban and rural mothers was 69.8% with (95% CI: 66%, 74%) and 51.9% with (95% CI: 48- 56%) respectively. Urban residence [AOR = 1.39, 95% CI: (1.02–1.94)], had antenatal care visits [AOR = 0.24 (95%CI: (0.13, 0.44)], had post natal care checkups [AOR = 0.44, 95%CI: (0. 27- 0.72)] and being a governmental employee [AOR = 2.82; 95% CI: (1.91–6.1)] were factors associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding among urban mothers. Whereas in rural settings: institutional delivery [(AOR = 2.21, CI: 1.35–3.65)], post natal care checkups [(AOR = 0.53, CI: (0.36–0.77)] being daily laborer [AOR = 3.47; 95% CI: (1.78–6.75)] were associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding.ConclusionThe prevalence of timely introduction of complementary feeding in children aged 6–24 months is still low in the study areas. There was also disparity between urban and rural mothers in which urban mothers practiced better.

The Relationship between Maternal Factors and the Timely Initiation of Complementary Feeding for Infants, in West Sumatera Province, Indonesia

Objective − This study looked into the relationship between maternal factors and the timely initiation of complementary feeding for infants. Material and Methods − A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2022 on 196 mothers and their children aged 6-23 months. This study collected data through a questionnaire that included sociodemographic informa- tion, the Infant and Young Child Feeding Questionnaire for Child Care Providers (IYCF-CCPQ), the Iowa Infant Feeding At- titude Scale (IIFAS), and the time of initiation of complementary feeding.Results − This study included 196 mothers, with 128 (55.1%) having adequate knowledge of complementary feeding and 112 mothers (59.7%) had a negative view of infant feeding. The rate of timely initiation of complementary feeding was 71.4%. The mothers’ knowledge of infant feeding did not predict the timely initiation of complementary feeding (OR=1.18; 95% CI=0.62-2.26). However, maternal attitudes toward infant feeding were linked to the timely initiation of complementary feeding (OR=2.14; 95% CI=1.14-4.02). Conclusions − Mothers with positive attitudes toward infant feeding were twice as likely to start complementary feeding on time as those with negative at- titudes. Counseling mothers on the importance of timely initiation of complementary feeding is therefore required to improve mothers’ attitudes toward providing complementary foods to their infants in accordance with health recommendations.

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.&#x0D; 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.&#x0D; 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.&#x0D; 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.

Complementary Feeding Patterns and Factors Affecting Timely Introduction in a Tribal Population: A Mixed-Methods Study

Introduction: About 29-60% of tribal children are underweight due to limited healthcare access. The Kols, a tribe in central India, face similar issues and our study will examine their complementary feeding practices. Methodology: A sequential explanatory mixed-method research design was conducted on 218 Kol tribe women in the Manikpur block of Chitrakoot district Uttar Pradesh. In the first phase, the quantitative interview using a semi-structured questionnaire and in the second phase, an in-depth interview of 20 Kol mothers was conducted using an interview guide. Results: About 52.3% of the women were aged between 26- 35 years, and about 83.9% were illiterate. About half of the children (n=116, 53.5%) were introduced to complementary feed at 6-8 months of age. The independent predictors of the timely initiation of complementary feeding were education (AOR: 2.422, p 0.037), age of the mothers (AOR: 1.2106, p 0.047) and the number of children of the mothers (AOR: 2.715 p 0.004) diet diversity was rarely maintained. Conclusion: Complementary feed was introduced timely for half of the tribal women but diet diversity was not maintained. Health education and counselling to utilize locally available food items should be encouraged.

Timely initiation of complementary feeding practices and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in Dessie Zuria District, Northeast Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Ethiopia has one of the highest infant and child mortality rates in the world. Starting from the age of 6 months, breast milk alone is not sufficient to cover all nutritional requirements. Infants and young children are at an increased risk of undernutrition. Complementary feeding must, therefore, begin at the age of 6 months. Infant and young child nutrition is a critical factor in human health, nutrition, survival, growth, and development. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the timely initiation of complementary feeding practices and associated factors in children aged 6-23 months in the Dessie Zuria District of North Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study design was used for the period between 16 March and 30 March 2019. The study included 770 mother-child pairs aged 6-23 months. A multistage sampling method was used to choose the study participants. Using a simple random sampling technique, nine kebeles in the district were selected from a total of 31, and from 103 Gotts or villages, 31 were selected with 770 HHs out of 2,329 HHs with children aged 6-23 months. Data were collected using a pretested semistructured interviewer-administered questionnaire, which was then entered into Epi Data version 3.1 statistical software before being transferred to SPSS version 21 for further analysis. To summarize the data, descriptive statistics were used, which included a simple frequency table and figures. To evaluate factors, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. The percentage of children who started complementary feeding practices on time was 70.9. Maternal occupation [AOR = 5.51, 95% CI (1.61-18.81)], radio availability [AOR = 2.03, 95% CI (1.32-3.12)], antenatal care follow-up [AOR = 6.19, 95% CI (4.08-9.40)], place of delivery [AOR = 5.06%, CI (3.34-7.68)], and postnatal care follow-up [AOR = 4.32, 95% CI (2.77-6.72)] were found to be the factors for the timely initiation of complementary feeding. When compared with WHO cutoff points, timely initiation of complementary feeding practice was relatively low in the study area. Maternal occupation, radio availability, ANC follow-up, place of delivery, and postnatal care visit were all significantly associated with the timely initiation of complementary feeding.

Time to complementary feeding initiation and its predictors among children aged 9-23 months in Meket District, Northeast Ethiopia: a Cox Weibull regression.

.Globally and nationally, only 64⋅5 and 49⋅2 % of infants received solid or semi-solid foods, respectively. The available evidence indicates that the time to initiate complementary feeding practices is still poor and varies by region. The aim of the present study was to assess the time to initiation of complementary feeding and its predictors among children aged 9-23 months in Meket District, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. A community-based retrospective cohort study was conducted from June to July 2022 among 459 systematically selected mothers/caregivers with their children from 9 to 23 months of age. The result of descriptive statistics was reported by table, frequency, Kaplan-Meier curve and percent. The proportional hazard model assumption was checked, and a Weibull regression model was used to see the predictors of timely initiation of complementary feeding. An adjusted hazard ratio with a 95 % confidence interval and a P-value of 0⋅05 were used to declare the significant predictors. The median time of complementary feeding initiation was 6 months. Attending primary education (adjusted hazard ration (AHR) 1⋅8; 95 % CI 1⋅16, 2⋅78), occupation of the mother (AHR 1⋅43; 95 % CI 1⋅04, 1⋅95), home delivery (AHR 1⋅61; 95 % CI 1⋅09, 2⋅37) and birth preparedness (AHR 1⋅37; 95 % CI 1⋅03, 1⋅81) were the predictors of time to complementary feeding initiation. The median time to complementary feeding initiation was consistent with the WHO recommendation. Maternal education, maternal employment, place of delivery and birth preparedness were the predictors of time to initiation of complementary feeding. Therefore, working with the education sector, increasing the delivery rate in health facilities, strengthening counselling on birth preparation, increasing maternity leave until 6 months of age and initiating corner feeding should be part of the complementary feeding practices promotion agenda.

Optimal complementary feeding practices of children aged 6-23 months in three agro-ecological rural districts of Jimma zones of southwest Ethiopia.

Despite the critical importance of complementary feeding, large proportions of children in developing countries are sub-optimally fed during 6-23 months of age. In Ethiopia, even though the government has been rolling out infant and young child feeding (IYCF) guidelines, the proportion of mothers adhering to the recommended optimal practices and its associated factors have not been assessed in different agro-ecological areas. Hence, the present study aimed to determine optimal complementary feeding practices and associated factors in three agro-ecological rural districts (high, mid and lowland) of southwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 845 mothers-index young children 6-23 months Jimma zone. Multistage sampling was employed to select the study participants. Structured and pretested questionnaires were used to collect data and entered into Epi Data V.1.4.4.0. The data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Binary and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with optimal child-feeding practices. The significance of the association was determined at P < 0⋅05. The overall proportion of optimal complementary feeding practice (OCFP) was 9⋅4 % at 95 % CI (7⋅19, 11⋅08). The timely initiation of complementary feeding, minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet was 52⋅2, 64⋅1, 17⋅2 and 12⋅2 %. Multivariable logistic regression showed that being in the highland districts, having good maternal knowledge, and mothers having primary school education, having a family size of less than six were positively associated with optimal complementary feeding practices. The findings showed that OCFP was low, especially in the midland agro-ecological districts.

Determinants of timely initiation of complementary feeding among children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia

Introducing complementary feeding either early or later than 6 months is associated with future negative health outcomes. However, many women in Ethiopia do not follow WHO standard time to feed their children, which might be due to various demographic, economic, access, and availability of services. Thus, we aimed to identify factors attributing to the problems to assist future interventions. We used cross-sectional EMDHS 2019 for this analysis. We cleaned the data and 4061 women with under 2 years children were identified. We applied multilevel binary logistic regression in Stata v.15. Model comparison was based on log-likelihood ratio, deviance, and other criteria. We presented data using mean, percent, 95% CI, and adjusted odds ratio (AOR). The timely complementary feeding was 36.44% (34.93–37.92%). Factors like preceding birth intervals (AOR = 1.97 95% CI 1.62–1.39), primary education (AOR = 2.26 95% CI 1.40–3.62), secondary above education (AOR = 1.62 95% CI 1.10–2.38), and rich wealth index (AOR = 1.25 95% CI 1.03–1.52) were some of the associated factors. The magnitude of timely initiation of complementary feeding was diminutive. Authors suggest that interventions considering maternal education, empowering mothers economically, equity access to health services, and birth planning a good remedy.

Prevalence of timely complementary feeding initiation and associated factors among mothers having children aged 6-24 months in rural north-central Ethiopia: Community based cross-sectional study.

Complementary foods are defined as any solid or liquid foods other than breast milk offered to children. Timely initiation of complementary foods during infancy is necessary for growth and development. The first two years of life are important period for rapid physical, cognitive and social development that requires optimal nutrition. Currently, there is no study done in this rural community about timely initiation of complementary feeding. The main aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding among mothers having children aged 6-24 months in Farta district, rural Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was employed from December 2020 to February 2021 among 570 mothers by using multi-stage sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and entered into Epi Data 4.6 then transferred to Statistical Package for Social Science version 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis with a 95% confidence interval carried out to determine the association between explanatory and the outcome variables. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding among mothers having children aged 6-24 months was 51.9%. Institutionaldelivery [(AOR = 2.10, 95% CI: (1.31-3.32)],Keeping livestock [(AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: (1.35, 3.65)], Postnatal follow up [(AOR = 0.60, 95% CI:(0.36, 0.77)],merchants [(AOR = 4.58; 95% CI:1.99, 10.55)], and daily labourer [(AOR = 2.88, 95% CI:(1.50-5.51)] were statistically associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding. This finding revealed that the prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding is still low. Factors affecting timely initiations of complementary feeding were home delivery, unable to attend postnatal care follow-up, being housewife and farmers. All health professionals including health extension workers should give special attention to advising and counseling for mothers and their husbands about timely initiation of complementary feeding.

Factor associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-23 months in rural communities of Dhanusha, Nepal

Background and Objectives: Six months to 2 years of age is known as the transition period and is a component of the critical window of opportunity to support the survival and optimal growth of child. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the mothers should start soft, semi-solid, or solid food for their infant at the age of 6 months. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the timely initiation of complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-23 months in rural municipalities of the Dhanusha district of Nepal Material and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural municipalities of Dhanusha district, Province 2 of Nepal between February and March 2021.A sample of 366 mothers having children aged 6-23 months were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to explore the timely initiation of complementary feeding practices among children. Results: The study found that more than half 54.9% of the respondent timely initiated complementary feed to their child. Timely initiation of complementary feeding was 1.68 times higher among male children than a female child. Similarly, the mothers who initiated breast milk within one hour and exclusively breastfed were 1.64 times and 4.19 times more likely to initiate complementary feeding than those who had initiated breast milk one hour and more and not exclusively breastfed. Conclusions: More than half of the mother’s initiated timely complementary feed to their child. Sex of the child, initiation of breastfeeding within one hour, and exclusive breastfeeding practices were significantly associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding. Therefore, more efforts should be focused to raise awareness regarding age-appropriate feeding among mothers who may increase the timely initiation of complementary feeding and hence reduce the burden of malnutrition and related complications

The effect of timely initiation of complementary feeding and vitamin A supplementation on acute malnutrition among children aged 6–59 months attending Hamusit Health Centre, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: A cross-sectional study

IntroductionAcute malnutrition is a nutritional deficiency that results either from inadequate energy or protein intake. It is more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Even though efforts have been carried out at the global and national level, the burden is still intolerable and it attracts the attention of the government and researchers. Hence, this study aims to assess the magnitude of acute malnutrition and its associated factors among under-five children who attended Hamusit Health Centre from 1st September to 30th January 2021. Materials and methodsThis institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st September to 30th January on 404 randomly selected under-five children who visited the health centre. Samples were selected using a simple random sampling technique, and the data were obtained using a pre-tested standardized questionnaire. For data entry and analysis, Epi-info 7 and SPSS 21 applications were used, respectively. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression were used to identify associated factors at a 95% confidence interval. Significance was considered at p-value<0.05. ResultsThe present research involved a total of 404 children aged 6–59 months. The magnitude of acute malnutrition in this study was 14.4%. Children aged 6–23 months [AOR: 2.92; 95%CI (1.46, 5.85)], vitamin A supplementation [AOR: 0.49; 95%CI (0.25, 0.95)], not timely initiation of complementary feeding [AOR: 2.02; 95%CI (1.06, 3.82)] and children with diarrhea prior to two weeks of the survey [AOR: 2.47; 95% CI (1.28, 4.87)] were significantly associated with acute malnutrition. ConclusionA significant number of children aged 6–59 months were affected by acute malnutrition. Younger children, vitamin A supplementation, not timely initiation of complementary feeding, and children with diarrhoea were other factors associated with acute malnutrition.

COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING PRACTICES IN INDIAAND IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES

Proper nutrition is essential in the rst two years of life to sustain the rapid growth which occurs in this period otherwise it can lead to malnutrition. Appropriate complementary feeding practices are important, as malnutrition in this phase of life can affect the developmental process and also increase the risk of adulthood metabolic diseases. The present article is aimed to discuss the complementary feeding practices in India, determinants inuencing it and strategies for improving it. The recent data was collected and analyzed from Pubmed, MedLine and Google Scholar. The timely initiation of complementary feeding varied widely across the country (42.7-84%). There were limited studies on the adequacy of complementary feeding. Many factors which inuenced complementary feeding practices were identied and can be utilized in formulating intervention programs. Interventional studies showed nutrition counselling of mothers is benecial. Strengthening public nutrition programs require micro-planning, focusing on local factors, motivated healthcare staff and continuous monitoring. Culturally acceptable, economical and locally available cuisine of nutritionally rich complementary food need to be developed and the skills of hygienic preparation and responsive feeding should be imparted to mothers.

Determinants for inappropriate initiation of complementary feeding to children aged 6–24 months in Gondar Health Centers, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019

BackgroundThe practice of the timely initiation of complementary feeding is serious for the achievement of healthy advancement and progress. The timely initiation complementary feeding practice failure was the main leading issues of the under nutrition. ObjectiveTo assess timely initiation of complementary feeding practice and associated factors to children aged 6–24 months at Gondar town Health institutions, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019. MethodsAn institution-based cross- sectional study was conducted from May 01 to 30/2019. A sample of 381 subjects, were selected by using systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested interviewer-administered structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The data were cleaned, coded, entered in to EPI-INFO version 7, and transferred and analyzed using SPSS version 21. ResultsOut of 381 study participants, 252 (66.1%) had initiated complementary feeding practices to their children timely. Mothers’ grade level one up to eight [AOR = 2.26], antenatal care visit greater than or equal to three times [AOR = 1.85], number of children two up to four [AOR = 2.30], family size four up to six [AOR = 1.79], and knowledgeable mothers [AOR = 1.98] times were positively associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding practices. ConclusionsTimely initiation of complementary feeding practice was more than three among five participants (i.e. 252 (66.1%)). Mothers’ educational level, number of children, antenatal care visit, family size and mothers’ knowledge were the main factors for the timely initiation of complementary feeding.

Timely Initiation of Complementary Feeding and Associated Factors among Mothers of Children Aged 6-24 Months in Dessie Referral Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia, 2019.

Background Timely, appropriate, safe, adequate, and frequent feeding is essential during the transition period for optimal growth and development as well as vulnerability of the child. The age of initiation of complementary feeding needs to be strongly addressed. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors among mothers of children aged 6–24 months in Dessie Referral Hospital. Methods Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 mothers of children aged 6–24 months. A systematic random sampling technique was employed for selection of study participants by considering the 1st comer as a starting point and then at every 5th interval till the sample size was saturated at exit time. Data were collected using pretested and validated structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered to Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 software for analysis. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used. Results Overall response rate was 98.2%. Among 275 mothers with children aged 6–24 months, 36 (13.1%), 179 (65.1%), and 60 (21.8%) mothers started giving complementary feeding for their children early (before six months), timely (at six months), and late (after six months), respectively. Mothers' educational status of grade 9–12 and college and above [AOR = 3.03; 95% CI (1.13–8.14), and AOR = 3.74; 95% CI (1.19–11.70), respectively], getting counsel [AOR = 2.83; 95% CI (1.54–5.21)], and poor knowledge [AOR = 0.37; 95% CI (0.19–0.72)] were found to be independent predictors. Conclusions Prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding was high as compared to the national prevalence. Mothers' educational status, getting counsel about complementary feeding, and knowledge were factors associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding. Therefore, awareness creation, counseling, and health education should be done on society by concerned bodies to improve timely introduction of complementary feeding level more than this result.

Complementary feeding practice and associated factors among children aged 6 to 12 months attending governmental health facilities in Addis Ababa: Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate feeding practices, coupled with high rates of infectious diseases, are the proximate causes of malnutrition during the first two years of life. Around 10 million under-five children died annually of which over one-third were due to inappropriate complementary feeding. OBJECTIVE: To assess factors associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding among children aged 6 to 12 months in public health care facilities of Addis Ababa Ethiopia. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted. Data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Binary and multivariable logistic regressions analyses were performed. Variables with p-value ≤0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The proportion of timely initiation of complementary feeding was 65.2% (95% CI = 60.8, 69.5). Being married [AOR = 2.622, 95% CI: 1.182–5.817], belongs to 18–24 years age at first marriage [AOR = 1.671, 95% CI: 1.019–2.742], being grade 9 and above [AOR = 1.910, 95% CI: 1.401–2.258], average income &gt; 1500 Ethiopian birr [AOR = 2.138, 95% CI: 1.762–2.347], and postnatal care follow up [AOR = 1.641, 95% CI:1.435–3.224] were significantly associated with complementary feeding. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the magnitude of timely initiation complementary feeding was higher as compared to the country level figure. Implementing nutrition strategy which scales-up mother’s living standards improve complementary feedings practices.

Timely Initiation of Complementary Feeding Practices in Gondar Town Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background The time of introduction and nutritionally adequate, safe, age-appropriate complementary feeding is extremely important for the child’s optimal growth, development, and health within the first 2 years of life. Despite a number of interventions to improve infant and young child feeding practices and nutritional status, appropriate feeding practices are far away from the recommendation. Therefore, the study aimed to assess timely initiation of complementary feeding practices and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2017. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select 632 mother-child pairs. Pretested structured and interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered into Epi–info version 7 and transferred to SPSS version 20.0 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding. Finally, variables with a P-value of <0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results The prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding was 47.3% (95%CI: 43.0, 51.3). Being housewife in maternal occupation (AOR = 2.03, 95%CI: 1.21, 3.43), good mother’s knowledge about complementary feeding (AOR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.28, 2.53) and attending post-natal care checkup (AOR = 3.90, 95%CI: 1.26, 12.04) were significantly associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding. Conclusion This study revealed that timely initiation of complementary feeding was low within the study area. Around half of the children started complementary feeding at their 6 months of age. Therefore, special emphasis should be given to mothers who have poor knowledge about complementary feeding and encourage all mothers to have postnatal follow-up is crucial.

Correlates of the Timely Initiation of Complementary Feeding among Children Aged 6⁻23 Months in Rupandehi District, Nepal.

Although the predictors of the timely initiation of complementary feeding are well-known elsewhere, there is less awareness of the topic in Nepal. The current study was undertaken to identify the correlates of timely initiation of complementary feeding among children aged 6–23 months. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Rupandehi district, Nepal. A total of 155 mother-child pairs were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders was employed to examine the independent association between risk factors and the timely initiation of complementary feeding. Fewer than 3 in 5 children aged 6–23 months received complementary feeding at the recommended time. Literate mothers and a maternal occupation in the service or business sectors were found to be associated with complementary feeding at 6 months. In addition, child characteristics such as birth order, male children, and those fed micronutrients were also more likely to have been received complementary feeding at 6 months than their counterparts. Maternal education and occupation, and child characteristics such as, birth order, male gender, and micronutrient consumption, which are correlates of the timely initiation of complementary feeding, suggest that the Nepalese Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) programme should target these predictors while designing preventive strategies.

Complementary feeding practices among children in Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia

BackgroundAppropriate complementary feeding helps to reduces child’s risk of undernutrition, infectious disease and related mortality. However, complementary feeding practices are sub-optimal in Ethiopia. There is, however, also limited evidence in the country, particularly of Pawie District. Therefore, this study aimed to assess timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors among mothers who had children aged 6–23 months in Pawie District, Benishangul Gumuz Regional State.MethodsA community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Pawie District from February 01 to March 29, 2015. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 806 mother–child pairs. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with corresponding 95% Confidence Interval was calculated to show the strength of association. A p value of <0.05 was used to declare significance of association.ResultsThe overall prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding was 61.8%. One quarter (23.7%) of children had good dietary diversity and 32.7% of children aged 12–23 months were fed with appropriate meal frequency. Mother’s place of residence: urban settlement [AOR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.47, 3.02] and postnatal checkup [AOR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.15, 2.45] were significantly associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding.ConclusionsThe prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding was low in Pawie District. Therefore, further strengthening maternal postnatal care utilization is a key to improve timely initiation of complementary feeding. Moreover, attention needs to be given to the rural mothers.

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.

Complementary Feeding Knowledge, Practices, and Dietary Diversity among Mothers of Under-Five Children in an Urban Community in Lagos State, Nigeria

Background and Objectives:Inappropriate complementary feeding is a major cause of child malnutrition and death. This study determined the complementary feeding knowledge, practices, minimum dietary diversity, and acceptable diet among mothers of under-five children in an urban Local Government Area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.Methods:This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Eti-Osa area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 355 mothers and infants. Data was collected using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire and 24-hour diet recall was used to assess dietary diversity. Data was analyzed using Epi-Info.Results:Knowledge of complementary feeding was low (14.9%) and was associated with older mothers’ age, being married, and higher level of education. The prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding (47.9%), dietary diversity (16.0%) and minimum acceptable diet for children between 6 and 9 months (16%) were low. Overall, appropriate complementary feeding practice was low (47.0%) and associated with higher level of mothers’ education and occupation.Conclusions and Global Health Implications:Complementary feeding knowledge and practices were poor among mothers of under-5 especially the non-literate. Reduction of child malnutrition through appropriate complementary feeding remains an important global health goal. Complementary feeding education targeting behavioral change especially among young, single and uneducated mothers in developing countries is important to reduce child morbidity and mortality.