Maternal beliefs and practices in feeding infants and young children during sickness: part I, beliefs and practices during fevers

Proper feeding is recognized as an important element in the management of the sick child. This study was done to assess the maternal practices and beliefs in feeding infants and young children during infections, in both rural and urban communities. It was conducted on "2000" mothers representing the rural and the three different socioeconomical levels of the urban sector. The study revealed that maternal practices and beliefs in feeding children during infections [fevers and measles] differed significantly in the rural and urban sectors. The majority of urban mothers, especially those with high socioeconomic levels, followed the sound practices and were holding the correct beliefs. However, malpractices were prevalent among rural and low SEL urban mothers, where a minority of them kept their children on watery gruels low in protein for prolonged periods, especially so in measles