Effects of Weaning on Anthropometric Measurements of Children in two Communities of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State Nigeria

This project was a descriptive survey designed to study the weaning practices amongst mothers and the effects on the anthropometric measurements of their children in Iju/Ita-Ogbolu communities of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State Nigeria. A total of 200 mothers with children from birth to 24 months were randomly selected for the study. Hypotheses generated for the study were tented with chi-square (x2) at a level of significance of 0.05. Findings revealed that majority of the mothers had acceptable knowledge of weaning, were breast- feeding along with weaning diets, and used local weaning diets, more than commercially prepared complimentary foods. The mothers had a low practice of exclusive breastfeeding but breastfeed their children for as long as 24 months before the children are completely weaned from the breast. The relationships between the anthropometric measurements indicated that the children of the respondents had good nutritional statuses with minimal levels of deviations and malnourishment.