Exploring the Diversity in Feeding Practices among the Urban Slum Children of Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Background Feeding of breast milk till two years of age and initiation of complementary feeding at proper age are thrust areas of good nutritional status of infant and young children. Objective The objective of the present study is to explore the feeding pattern of the infant and young children (more than six to thirty-six /months) in slums of Raipur city. Method An exploratory study was conducted among randomly selected 211 children aged greater than6 months to 36 months in ten urban slums from four zones of Raipur. Infant and young child feeding practices and socio- demographic profile of 211 children were collected using structured questionnaire. Results Percentage of children who were exclusively breast fed was highly satisfactory (79.1 %), still the ritual of giving prelacteals after birth was there among one-fifth caregivers (20.9 %). Prelacteals like honey, sugar water and plain water are given to the newborn.71.64 % mothers fed their child for only 10 to 15 minutes only. Strong evidence of relationship between nutritional status& the inclusion of number of food groups in complementary feeding of the children was found (Chi square=11.68, df =2, p =