Abstract :
Background: For improving nutrition status and decreasing infant mortality in all countries, the Global
Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) recognizes appropriate infant feeding practices to be
crucial.
Objectives: To evaluate the nutritional status of children residing in urban slums and to correlate their
feeding and sanitary practices of children with child’s nutritional health status.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done by interviewing mothers of 120 apparently healthy
children aged 1-5 years availing primary care. The day to day practices related to feeding, sanitary practices
and child health were enquired. Dietary pattern of the child was collected by 24 hr recall and dietary score
was calculated Using Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS).
Results: 78.3% mothers breastfed their children. 10% prematurely initiated and 31% delayed the initiation
of complementary foods. The meal frequency of the children is 3 times per day in 55% households, 2 times
and 4 times per day in 25% household each. 71.7% families had good dietary diversity. However diet of
the child detoriated drastically during bouts of illness. The practice of washing hands with soap and water
before eating and after defecation was routinely practiced by only 57.5% children. The anthropometric
measurements of the children revealed that 58.3% of them were underweight (30.8% severely), 40% of
them were wasted (21.6% severely) and 59.1% were stunted (29% severely).
Conclusion: Improvement in child care and feeding practices positively impact nutritional status of
children. However these interventions need to be implemented at the household level using positive
deviance approach and behavioural change communication strategies.
Keyword :
Child undernutition, Maternal knowledge, Dietary diversity, Sanitary practices.