Infant And Young Child Feeding Practices and Infections Pattern in Children Up To 24 Months Age Attending Outdoor Patient Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital of South Gujarat

ABSTRACT

Background: Optimal infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) are effective public health intervention to enhance child survival, nutrition and development. There is also documented evidence regarding the pro-tective effect of optimal IYCF practices against diarrhoea and ARTI. The objective is to assess knowledge and practices regarding IYCF among study participants & to explore the association of feeding practices of mothers with the morbidities (infections) in their children. Methodology: The present study was a hospital based cross-sectional study, carried out during September 2019 to March 2021. A total of 380 mothers of children less than two years attending OPD of Institute of child health, Nirmal hospital private limited, a tertiary care multi-specialty hospital was interviewed using pre-designed and pretested questionnaire. Results: Feeding practices during early days of life to be reasonably good among study participants with al-most 2/3rd of the study participants practicing them. Mean number of morbidity episodes requiring consulta-tion were significantly lower in the children whose mothers practiced optimal IYCF practices. Conclusion: Poor feeding practices in children had significant association with morbidity episodes of diar-rhoea and ARTI in children.