Common Complementary Feeding Practices Among Under-Five Children: The Case of Zambia
Journal: International Journal of Nutrition (Vol.4, No. 3)Publication Date: 2019-07-06
Authors : Raider Habulembe Mugode; Musonda Mofu; Oliver Mweemba;
Page : 7-19
Keywords : caregivers; child growth; complementary feeding; quality of diet; undernutrition;
Abstract
Introduction In the past several decades, Zambia has suffered high levels of under nutrition particularly stunting among children below 5 years of age. Although appropriate complementary feeding practices are reported to reduce child deaths by 6%, they have not received the adequate attention from programme officers and caregivers in terms of implementation. Objectives The objective was to investigate issues surrounding the common complementary feeding practices practised by caregivers of children below five years in health facilities and areas where high rates of malnutrition admission come from. Design A cross sectional research using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study used mostly proportions based mostly on global indicators on complementary feeding. Qualitative data was also analysed according to themes of global complementary feeding indicators Setting The study was conducted in five hospitals, namely Arthur Davison, Solwezi Central, Kabwe and Livingstone General, and University Teaching Hospital. Subjects The target populations were mothers whose children were admitted for malnutrition and those with children 0-59 months living in communities with the highest number of malnourished cases admitted to selected hospitals Results About45.2% (190) of caregivers introduced liquids before six months of age and 7.6% (32) after 6 months attributing child thirst, medication and advice from health worker as the main reasons. Slightly above half (54.2% of 224) of mothers/caregivers used cups to feed their babies. The use of feeding bottles was still common (8.2% of 34). Responsibility to feed the child is mostly left to the mother (86.4%, 362). In addition, children were being feed about 2.67 (SD 0-72) per day. Conclusions Child feeding practices were still poor. This contributes to poor child growth and health. More interventions should be planned to improve child care behaviour.
Other Latest Articles
- Maternal Indigenous and Artisanal Coastal Nutrition, the SDG Imperative: A Suggested Renaissance of Ethics for Research and Tertiary Education in the Anthropocene Era
- Structure Activity Relationship of Xanthones for Inhibition of Cyclin Dependent Kinase 4 from Mangosteen (Garcinia Mangostana L.)
- Occurrence and removal of microplastics in a municipal wastewater treatment plant with conventional activated sludge process: A case study in Isfahan, Iran
- Consciousness Energy Healing Treatment: Impact on the Physicochemical and Thermal Properties of Pyridoxine HCl
- Biomonitoring of heavy metal signatures in urbanized contaminated ecosystems of Southern India: A case study using raptor, Athene brama
Last modified: 2023-03-14 16:10:36