Feeding practices among under two years children in urban slum, Bengaluru: a cross sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20231438Keywords:
Exclusive breastfeeding, Pre-lacteal feeds, Urban slumAbstract
Background: Exclusive breastfeeding is the optimum method of feeding in first 6 months of life. It meets nutritional requirement of baby. There are practices of early introduction of top feeds and late introduction of semi-solid feed in urban slums in India. This study was conducted to assess feeding practices among under 2 years children in an urban slum area.
Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in one of the urban slums in Bengaluru among 190 caregivers of children aged from 6 months to 2 years from January 2023 to March 2023. Questionnaire was used to collect information regarding feeding practices and data was analysed using JAMOVI v2.3.26.
Results: Among 155 (81.58%) of the mothers were literates, 97 (51.06%) belongs to class IV socioeconomic status. Regarding feeding practices, 65 (34.21%) of them initiated breastfeeding between 1-4 hours after delivery, 137 (72.11%) of them fed colostrum to the babies, pre-lacteal feeds were given in 46 (24.21%) of children, exclusive breastfeeding was done in 106 (55.79%) of babies. There was significant association between exclusive breastfeeding with caregivers’ socioeconomic status, type of family (p<0.05). There was significant association between pre-lacteal feeds with mothers’ education status, socio-economic status (p<0.05).
Conclusions: There is a need for health education regarding importance of exclusive breastfeeding and ill-effects of pre-lacteal feeds. Sociodemographic factors also play an important role in these feeding practices. Hence government should take necessary steps to improve some of the demographic factors who are living in urban slums.
Metrics
References
World Economic Forum. The first 1,000 days of a child's life are the most important to their development - and our economic success. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/01/the-first-1-000-days-of-a-childs-life-are-the-most-important-to-their-development-and-our-economic-success. Accessed on 25 April 2023.
Akre J. Infant feeding: The physiological basis edited by James Akré, World Health Organization. 1990. Available at: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/ 10665/39084. Accessed on 25 April 2023.
Victora CG, Bahl R, Barros AJD, França GVA, Horton S, Krasevec J, et al - Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 2016;387(10017):475-90.
Jones G, Steketee RW, Black RE, Bhutta ZA, Morris SS. How many child deaths can we prevent this year? Lancet. 2003;362(9377):65-71.
World Health Organization. Infant and young child feeding Factsheet. 2017;2-7. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs342/en/. Accessed on 25 April 2023.
Park K. Preventive medicine in obstetrics, paediatrics, and geriatrics. Park’s textbook of preventive and social medicine. 27th ed. Jabalpur (India): M/s Banarsidas Bhanot Publishers; 2019: 609.
Shankar K, Muthukumar S, Sadhasivam M. Pre lacteal feeding practice among rural mothers in Tamil Nadu-A questionnaire-based study. Int J Biomed Adv Res. 2015;6(6):484-7.
Ghosh S, Shah D. Nutritional problems in urban slums. Indian Pediatr. 2004;41:682-96.
Tiwari R, Mahajan PC, Lahariya C. The determinants of exclusive breast feeding in urban slums: A Community Based Study. J Trop Pediatr. 2003;55(1):49-54.
Jayarama S, Ramaiah R. Pre lacteal feeding practice among mothers in a rural area of Karnataka: a cross sectional study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017;4:2919-23.
Raval D, Jankar D, Singh M. A study of breastfeeding practices among infants living in slums of Bhavnagar city, Gujarat, India. Religion. 2011;2(2):19.
Roy S, Dasgupta A, Pal B. Feeding practices of children in an urban slum of Kolkata. Indian J Community Med. 2009;34(4);362.
Rajesh D, Bhavana D. A study on infant feeding practices in the urban slums: a cross sectional study. Int J Contemp Pediatr. 2016;3:350-4.
Jeyakumar A. Determinants of complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-24 months in urban slums of Pune, Maharashtra, in India. J Heal Population Nutrit. 2023;42(1).
National Family Health Survey -5, India Fact sheet. MOHFW, GOI. Available at: http://rchiips.org/ nfhs/NFHS-5_FCTS/India.pdf. Accessed on 28 April 2023.
