Original Research Article
Year: 2017 | Month: November | Volume: 7 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 247-251
Association between Breastfeeding Practices and Nutritional Status of Children Aged 6-24 Months in Jessore, Bangladesh
Raju Ahmed, Papia Sultana, Shovon Al-Fuad, Akimul Islam
Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Jessore University of Science and Technology
Corresponding Author: Raju Ahmed
ABSTRACT
Background: Breast milk has a major impact on child health, growth and development. Childhood malnutrition remains one of the most challenging global public health problems especially in developing country.
Aim and objective: To determine the breast feeding practices and nutritional status of the children aged six to twenty four months, and find out association between breast feeding practices and nutritional status of the children.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 312 children aged 6-24 month in the 10 community clinic of Jessore Sadar. Data was collected by using self-administrated questionnaire and anthropometric tools. Data was analyzed by using WHO Anthro and SPSS version 16.0 software.
Results: About 55% respondents were male and rests was female and mean age was14.8±2.3 months. 86% children got early initiation of breastfeeding and 56.73% children were exclusively breastfed. About seventeen percent respondents were born with low birth weight in the study area. It was found that 37.82%, 13.14% and 29.49% children were stunted, wasted and underweight respectively. There was a significant association between early initiation of breastfeeding and wasting (p= 0.047) and under-weight (p= 0.001), on the other hand exclusively breastfeeding (up to 6 months) and stunting (p= 0.033) and under-weight (p= 0.025).
Conclusion: Lack of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months was major risk factors to malnutrition among children less than twenty four months of age. A behavior change communication program about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for first six months of age should be implemented for its contribution to healthy growth and development of child.
Key words: Breastfeeding practice, Nutritional status, Community clinic, Children aged 6-24 months