Role of primary health care in infant and young child nutrition

Abstract

Objective. To assess infant and young child feeding practices from a local pediatrician’s perspective. Patients and methods. The empirical research based on a questionnaire survey of 50 local pediatric specialists in Voronezh children’s clinics was conducted. The questionnaire contained questions related to the issues of nutrition for children aged 0–3 years. Results. The analysis of survey results showed that the promotion of breastfeeding begins mostly during the prenatal period (60%). The questions related to artificial feeding arise among mothers from the birth of a child to 3 months of age (up to 50%); thereafter, their frequency decreases significantly (to 12%). Pediatricians do not always have enough time to talk to parents about principles for introducing complementary foods. Parents’ engagement in their child’s nutrition decreases after 1 year of age. Conclusion. Most respondents believe that the developed computer program will help to organize an adequate dietary plan for infants and young children. It will reduce the amount of time that specialists spend on pediatric nutrition counseling and draw parents’ attention to the issues of early childhood nutrition. Key words: infant and young child nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, rickets prevention, nutrition calculation software