Infant and Young Child Feeding Pattern in Children Attending in the Outpatient Department of an Urban Hospital

BANANI CHAKRABORTY1, JUBAIDA RUMANA2, HOSNE ARA BEGUM3, AFSANA AFROZ4

Abstract
Background: Proper feeding practices during the first two years of life is essential
for growth nutrition and development of young children. Optimum infant and young
child feeding can reduce childhood mortality and morbidity significantly. Present study
was done to know the infant and young child feeding pattern in the children of 0-23
months of age attending out patient department of an urban hospital.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 314 mother/child pair
attending the outpatient department of an urban hospital during the period of September
2014 to December 2014.
Result: 68.5% children had early initiation of breast feeding and exclusive breast
feeding among children below 6 months was 66.8%.Continued breast feeding
among the children of 12 to 15 months was 80.4% and 84.2 % children were given
solid food at 6 months of age. Adequate minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal
frequency and minimal acceptable diet among children 6-23 months were 61.4%,57.3%
and 39.4% respectively.64.5%% children were taking iron rich food or supplementation.
Conclusion: Early initiation of breast feeding(0-23mo) and Exclusive breastfeeding(0-
6mo) were satisfactory in the study children but IYCF practice in children of 6-23
months was not optimum and far away from the HPNSDP 2011-2016 target of 52% of
children to be fed with minimum acceptable diet.
Key words: Infant and young child feeding, Urban hospital

 

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