Weaning practices in low income families of an urban slum area in Dhaka city

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was undertaken in an urban slum area on 70 children to
investigate the weaning practices, energy intake of infants, pattern of the feeding
practices and to establish relationship between the nutritional status and the energy
intake of the children through a series of In-depth interview, observation and
weighing of cooked food before and after meal. The prevalence o f exclusive
breastfeeding was 20%, and an alarming more than half were severely malnourished
based on NCHS standard. Eighty eight percent of the children had been suffering
from different grades of malnutrition. It was observed that none of the
mothers/caregivers was prepared any special food or separate cooking as weaning
food for their children/infants in the slum area. Weaning food was not introduced to
the Infant at any particular time, sometimes it was either too early or too late.
Seventy nine percent Infants were being given food from family pot which was
mentioned here as supplementary or extra food. 70% of the total energy intake was
from carbohydrate, even though the average energy intake was grossly (about 40%)
inadequate compared with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) by the children
o f 6-24 age group.