Infant feeding in urban south Indian families.

PIP: A longitudinal study of feeding practices of South Indian infants 6-22 weeks of age revealed no differences between poor and middle class families. Even among the poor, artificial feeding was initiated in early infancy. The proportion of exclusively breastfed infants dropped from 82% at 6 weeks of age to 58% at 14 weeks and to 36% at 22 weeks. At 22 weeks of age, 16% of the 271 infants studied had been completely weaned from the breast. 58% of the bottle-fed infants were initially given diluted cow's milk while 28% received diluted commercial milk substitute. By the age of 22 weeks, 70% of the bottle-fed infants were receiving either full-strength cow's milk or formula. Commercial weaning foods were preferred up to the 18th week; after that point, rice and rice products were provided. At each age interval analyzed, the mean caloric intake from artificial food was less than half the daily caloric requirement. There was no significant difference between poor and middle class families in terms of the duration of breastfeeding or mean caloric intake from artificial feeds. At 22 weeks, 50% of poor infants and 71% of middle-class infants were receiving food supplements. 72% of infants who had been completely weaned by 22 weeks were from middle class families and 28% were from poor families. These findings confirm earlier observations that the urban poor in India are abandoning long-term breastfeeding and using up to 10% of family income on commercial infant food. Educational campaigns to promote prolonged breastfeeding and restricted use of artificial substitutes should be an important part of child health efforts in India.^ieng

The pattern of medical renal disease in children in a south Indian hospital.

A retrospective study of children admitted to a south Indian hospital during an 11 year period showed that 70% of the renal diseases encountered in children in this region are of types which have a good prognosis. Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis was the most common. The relative prevalence of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome and different histological types of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome was similar to that in developed Western countries. Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome complicating bacillary dysentery was the most common cause of acute renal failure.