ABSTRACT
Objectives: To evaluate nutrient adequacy of complementary foods in the study area by comparison with recommendations. To determine the energy and nutrient intakes from complementary foods consumed by infants and young children. To assess TYCF and caring practices in the study area. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was conducted. Socio-demographic status, anthropometry, breastfeeding, complementary feeding practices and behaviors were assessed and stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique was used to select adequately representative samples of 180 breastfed children aged 6–23 months from three rural Wolaiyta communities Results: Energy and nutrient intakes from complementary foods were calculated from 1-day inhome weighed food records. Only 20 % infants and young children were exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age. No mothers with infants aged 6-11 months had fed them meat, chicken, or fish in the last 24 hours prior to data collection. Very few children (3.3 %) were fed according to the standard infant and young child feeding guidelines and responsive feeding was not practiced. Median energy intakes and densities of micronutrients from complementary foods (except for protein) were below the WHO recommendations. Prevalence of stunting was 16.7 % for infants aged 6–8 months, 33.3 % for infants aged 9–11 months and 50 % for children 12-24 months. Land ownership between families having stunted and non-stunted children was statistically significant (p< 0.001) and stunting with age group was statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusions: Nutrition education interventions that address the WHO guiding principles for complementary feeding practices and behaviors on growth are desperately required in the study participants.