Maternal beliefs, feeding practices and nutritional status in Afro-Colombian infants
Alvarado, B.Eugenia.; Tabares, R.Elizabeth.; Delisle, H.; Zunzunegui, M-Victoria.
Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricion 55(1): 55-63
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-0622 PMID: 16187679 Document Number: 585631
This study describes maternal practices and beliefs on child feeding and their relationship with nutritional status among Afro-Colombian children aged 6 to 18 months. Ethnographic and epidemiological data were utilized. Information were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. Nine focus groups and 5 deep interviews among mothers of children less than 2 years of age were performed. Our data showed a prevalence of wasting of 2.6% (<-2 SD weight-for-length) and a prevalence of stunting of 9.8% (<-2 SD height-for-age). Feeding practices are characterized by a universal onset of breastfeeding, that lasts 10 months in average, and an early introduction of complementary food (mean age, 3 months). Breast feeding is a cultural norm. Weaning is related to new pregnancies, to low milk production and to apparent negative effects of the breast feeding process on mothers' health. Early complementary feeding and bottle feeding are highly valued due to their positive effect on nutritional status and adaptation of children to adult-type diets. The introduction of complementary food at 4 months of age, the quality of the first food introduced and the diversity of complementary food predicted better nutritional status (P<0.05). We conclude that nutritional illiteracy and mothers' erroneous beliefs result in 50% of the mothers having inadequate feeding practices. We suggest focused interventions on those beliefs limiting good practices.