Infant feeding practices among patients of pediatricians and general practitioners

A Gupta1, J Sobti, J E Rohde

  • 1Indian Medical Association Headquarters, I.P. Estate, New Delhi.

Insights

Delayed breastfeeding initiation and early bottle feeding are common in India, impacting infant nutrition. Improved education and behavioral changes are crucial for realizing the benefits of breastfeeding.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition

Background:

  • Breastfeeding is vital for infant health and development.
  • Understanding current infant feeding practices is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document infant feeding practices among patients of pediatricians and general practitioners in India.
  • To identify deviations from recommended infant feeding guidelines.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study conducted over one month.
  • Data collected from 10,374 infants using a pre-printed proforma.
  • Recorded initiation of breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and solid food introduction.

Main Results:

  • Delayed breastfeeding initiation (beyond 24 hours) in nearly half of infants.
  • Bottle feeding introduced by 4 months in over half of infants.
  • Solid foods introduced after 8 months in almost half of infants.
  • Only 20% of women practiced exclusive breastfeeding until 4-6 months.

Conclusions:

  • Significant gaps exist between current infant feeding practices and recommendations in India.
  • Suboptimal breastfeeding and early introduction of other foods require urgent attention.
  • Extensive education and behavioral modification are necessary to optimize breastfeeding benefits.

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