Feeding, illness and nutritional status of young children in rural Gujarat
Wijga, A.; Vyas, U.; Vyas, A.; Sharma, V.; Pandya, N.; Nabarro, D.
Human Nutrition. Clinical Nutrition 37(4): 255-269
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0263-8290 PMID: 6643129 Document Number: 204345
Eighty children, aged 0-18 months, were studied over a period of 6 months. Information was obtained from monthly interviews with mothers, when the children were also weighed. Feeding practices, incidence of illness and weight gain were described. The children who were nutritionally most at risk were identified. The average weight of the children was 1 kg less than the NCHS international reference by 3 months, 1.7 kg by 9 months. The majority of mothers did not introduce foods other than breast milk before 9 months. The children from labourers' households gained less weight between 3 and 6 months, had a higher prevalence of malnutrition and more reports of illness than children from non-labourers' households. The implications of these results for workers in child health and nutrition programmes are discussed.