Maternal nutrition, breast feeding and growth of young children among urban population a prospective case study
Neena Joshi; Saraswati, G.; Bhawani Belavady
Indian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 39(4): 182-193
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3174 Document Number: 248601
A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the patterns of breast feeding and other infant feeding practices and the growth of children from birth to 18 months as related to the income and employment status of women in India (1990). Mother and child pairs were included in the study. Results revealed that the duration of exclusive breast feeding among 33 women and total duration of breast feeding among 29 women who belonged to different income groups and employment status were not significantly different. The duration of exclusive breast feeding ranged from 2.3+or-0.42 to 2.7+or-0.42 months, and the total duration of breast feeding ranged from 8.1+or-1.07 to 11.5+or-1.82 months. The age of introduction of other food supplements during infancy by different women groups were: employed mothers with high income, 4.7-7.1 months; unemployed mothers with high income, 3.8-9.3 months; and unemployed mothers with middle income, 5.9-8.2 months. Exclusively breast fed infants had low incidence of illness, whereas incidence of illness in supplemented children was higher especially in children from middle-income group than the high-income group. Infants and children born to mothers of well-to-do groups had satisfactory growth and development. In addition, employment of women did not have a great impact on the physical development of infants and children.