A Study On Knowledge And Practice Of Mothers Regarding Infant Feeding And Nutritional Status Of Under-Five Children Attending Immunisation Clinic Of A Medical College

Abstract

India is a third world war country. Since independence, one of the gravest problems India is confronting with is malnutrition among under-5 children. As in other developing nations, malnourishment is a burden on considerable percentage of population, the most vulnerable being the youngest group of the society. About two-third of the under-five children of our country is malnourished. Among them, 5-8% are severely malnourished while rest fall in the group of mild or moderate malnutrition. So it can be said that malnutrition is one of the most widespread conditions affecting child health. The 'germ' of malnutrition 'infects' a foetus in the intra-uterine life due to lack of sufficient antenatal care on part of the mother. The condition deteriorates further when after birth the infant is deprived of exclusive breast feeding or initiation of weaning is delayed. Weaning should be started after the age of 6 months and should contain energy rich semi-solid food. Malnutrition makes a child susceptible to infections and delays recovery, thus increasing mortality and morbidity. Every time an innocent child suffers the curse of malnutrition; the responsibility goes to the mother, the family and to the community due to their faulty or no knowledge regarding the harmful effects of prelacteal feeding, benefits of exclusive breast feeding and initiation of proper weaning at the correct time. It is to be realized that a million children die worldwide each year because they are not breast fed. Several millions who survive suffer from acute or chronic illness related to harmful effects of artificial feeding. These sufferings are unnecessary and are the preventable ones by discouraging bottle feeding and initiating efforts to bring back the breast feeding culture. On this background, a project has been carried out under the above mentioned title, which is discussed in detail in the pages to follow. A study like this is very much essential to estimate graveness of the situation so that effective and adequate measures can be taken at the individual, family, community and government levels to combat the curse of malnourishment.