Infant- and Young Child-feeding Practices in Bankura District, West Bengal, India

Authors

  • Apurba Sinhababu Department of Community Medicine, B.S. Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal
  • Dipta K Mukhopadhyay Department of Community Medicine, B.S. Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal
  • Tanmay K Panja Department of Community Medicine, B.S. Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal
  • Asit B Saren Department of Community Medicine, B.S. Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal
  • Nirmal K Mandal Department of Community Medicine, B.S. Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal
  • Akhil B Biswas Department of Community Medicine, B.S. Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/jhpn.v28i3.5559

Keywords:

Breastfeeding, Child-feeding practices, Cross-sectional studies, Descriptive studies, Exclusive breastfeeding, Infant-feeding practices, India

Abstract

A community-based, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted during June-July 2008 to assess the
infant- and young child-feeding (IYCF) practices in Bankura district, West Bengal, India. In total, 647 children
aged less than two years selected through revised 40-cluster sampling using the indicators of the
Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) and World Health Organization. The
proportions of infants with early initiation of breastfeeding (13.6%) and exclusive breastfeeding under six
months (57.1%) and infants who received complementary feeding at the age of 6-8 months (55.7%) were
low. Appropriate feeding as per the IMNCI protocol was significantly less among infants aged 6-11 months
(15.2%) and children aged 12-23 months (8.7%) compared to infants aged less than six months (57.1%),
which could be attributable to low frequency and amount of complementary feeding. The main problems
revealed from the study were late initiation of breastfeeding, low rates of exclusive breastfeeding, and inappropriate
complementary feeding practices.

Key words: Breastfeeding; Child-feeding practices; Cross-sectional studies; Descriptive studies; Exclusive
breastfeeding; Infant-feeding practices; India

DOI: 10.3329/jhpn.v28i3.5559

J HEALTH POPUL NUTR 2010 Jun;28(3):294-299

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How to Cite

Sinhababu, A., Mukhopadhyay, D. K., Panja, T. K., Saren, A. B., Mandal, N. K., & Biswas, A. B. (2010). Infant- and Young Child-feeding Practices in Bankura District, West Bengal, India. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 28(3), 294–299. https://doi.org/10.3329/jhpn.v28i3.5559

Issue

Vol. 28 No. 3 (2010)

Section

Original Papers