ABSTRACT
The experience of die authors working with mothers in Gaza community in the of child and infant nutrition and their observation of incorrect weaning behavior, necessitated assessment of weaning practices for future intervention. The objectives of this study is to describe infant feeding attitudes and practices during breastfeeding [BF], complementary feeding [CF] and weaning [WP] for a sample of nursing mothers in the Gaza strip [GS] during the year 2009. The study is of cross-sectional design. The study sample consisted of 269 mothers of infants aged less than two years old Data were collected through face to face interviews of the mothers. The questionnaire contained questions related to infant feeding and weaning attitudes and practices of mothers towards their infants. Chi-square test was used to analyze data and P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Ethical approval was obtained verbally from each participant. In the present study 518% of infants were boys and 44.2% girls [Minimum age 1 month and maximum age 24 month]. The study revealed that 48.8% of the mothers weaned their children either suddenly or gradually. Complementary feeding was added between 3-5 months to 54.9% of the children that started to receive complementary feeding [post breast feeding]. The key limitation of this study was that the research team collected limited samples from all the five regions of Gaza Strip due to limited human and non-human resources. Satiety from complementary feeding was the prime cause for weaning followed by pregnancy of the nursing mother and then by breast refusal by the baby. The study showed lack of adequate knowledge by nursing mothers towards the procedure, practice and time of weaning and the importance of breast feeding. We recommend use of health education to assess and support the proper feeding practices amongst nursing mothers