Background:
Appropriate feeding practice is critical for the achievement of a healthy growth and development and mere survival of young children. Lack of appropriate
breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices are the main cause of malnutrition. An estimated In Sana’a, 31% of children under five years were
stunted, 11% were wasted, and 23% were underweight. Only 10 % of infants aged less than 6 months have been breastfed, 40% of children aged 0 - 24
months have been fed using bottle, and 58% of children aged 6 -24 months received complementary feeding.
Objective:
To compute and display the feeding indicators as WHO definition and to assess the factors associated with these indicators among children aged from 0
to 24 months living in Sana’a City, capital of Yemen.
Methods:
A sample study consisted of mothers who attended to the Primary Health Care Centers and Hospitals in Sana’a and who had babies less than 2 years of
age. It was conducted from April and June 2014 and 601 were randomly selected.
Results:
Out of 601 study participants, 96% of children have only breast milk in the first five months, 85% started complementary feeding practices at age (6-
9) months, 55% of mothers provide bottle foods with breast milk to their child, while 28% introduce at least 4 food groups from 7 to their children
at age recommended. Age of mothers is an important factor that is significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding and bottle feeding, whereas
age of child is important factor which reveals significantly association both with complimentary feeding and minimum dietary diversity indicators.
Conclusion:
Dietary diversity practices were inadequate in Sana’a. Age of mothers and age of children were affecting feeding practices. Further researches on improving economic status, a habit of eating together, and exposure to media are important to improve infant feeding practices.
Author(s): Muhammed SA Masood