Handfeeding practice among mothers in a semi-urban community

ABSTRACT

A survey of hand/force-feeding practice among mothers attending the Sagamu Local Government Health Centre was carried out between May and August 1991. 820 mothers of children aged less than 3 years were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. 516 mothers (62.9 per cent) practised both hand and force-feeding. Majority (63.9) of those who hand/force-fed were mothers of infants aged between 1 and 6 months. Males were force-fed as frequently as females. Cereals preparations with or without cow's milk were force-fed most frequently. Persistent refusal of oral feeds was the most reason for force-feeding in 77.1 per cent cases. The implications of the findings are discussed and further steps to establish the safety or otherwise of this practice are suggested