Breast feeding and weaning practices of pre-school children in urban community in Delhi
Banik, N.D.
Indian Pediatrics 12(7): 569-574
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 1184157 Document Number: 90412
Feeding practices were surveyed for 1240 children aged 1 month to 2 years in Delhi. Immediately after birth, infants got honey, sugar or palm sugar mixed with water, sometimes with herbs. Most were breast fed within 13 to 24 h after birth, except some Harijans delayed until 48 h by custom. Of all children 97.3% were completely or partly breast fed up to age 6 months, 55.8% to 1.5 years and 2.1% to 4 years old. The most common artificial feed was buffalo's milk with water in different dilutions such as 1:1 or 2:1. First foods, given at 6 to 8 months old, were mashed and of gruel-like consistency, then rice and pulse gruel and boiled vegetables. Solid food such as chapatties tended to be given earlier by richer mothers, at about 6 months old, and after 1 year by poorer mothers. Main causes of child malnutrition were prolonged breast feeding and faulty weaning.