Harshdeep Joshi
Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, India
Title: Impact of feeding practices on health and nutritional status of the children in urban and rural Haryana
Biography
Biography: Harshdeep Joshi
Abstract
Background: Infant feeding practices are directly linked to nutritional status of the child. About 2/3rd of deaths in young children occur due to inappropriate feeding practices.
Aims & Objectives: To study impact of feeding practices on health and nutritional status of the children.
Materials & Methods: It was community based cross-sectional study conducted among 1267 children between age group of 0-24 months in the urban and rural field practice areas of Department of Community Medicine, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Mullana, District Ambala, Haryana. A self-designed semi structured questionnaire was used to assess mother’s knowledge, trends and determinants of infant and young child feeding practices and this was followed by anthropometry.
Results: In the current study it was observed that 33.1%, 44.1% and 14.4% children were underweight, stunted and wasted respectively. Factors like mother's education, occupation and type of family significantly (p<0.001) influenced nutritional status of the child as 39.8% underweight children belonged to mothers who were educated up to high school only; also 35.7% underweight children were more in category of unemployed mothers. Feeding practices like feeding colostrum, duration of breastfeeding and time of initiation of complimentary feeds significantly (p<0.005) influenced weight and height of the child. Also, exclusively breastfed children had significantly (p<0.001) less episodes of diarrhea as compared to non-breastfed counterparts.
Conclusion: Feeding practices significantly influence health and nutritional status of the child. Therefore, mothers must be correctly educated regarding right feeding practices.