Feeding Practices, Hygienic Aspect and Nutritional Status of Infants attending an Urban Hospital of Dhaka City
Keywords:
Feeding Practices, Hygienic Aspect, Nutritional Status.Abstract
A cross sectional study was carried out among 120 mother-infant pairs attending an
urban hospital of Dhaka city to determine appropriateness o f the existing infant
feeding, hygienic aspects of the infants and their nutritional status. Data were
collected with pre-tested and modified questionnaire.
Fifty percent of the mother and thirty eight percent fathers completed secondary
education. Highest percentage of the family heads were service holders (28.3%)
and greater percentage of them earned less than Tk. 4000 per month.
Weight for age, height for age and weight for height (mean ± SD) were 82 ± 12%,
96 ± 5 and 91 ± 8% of NCHS median respectively. According to Gomez
Classification 96% o f children had varying degrees o f protein energy malnutrition
(PEM) : 48.3% mild, 26.7% moderate and 0.8% severe. Weaning food was started
at (mean ± SD) 4 ± 2 months. Low house hold income, parenteral illiteracy,
imbalance complementary food, early or late weaning and hygienic practices were
significantly associated with PEM. Timely weaning, nutritional education and
appropriate hygienic practices may reduce childhood malnutrition especially PEM.