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[Study on feeding status of infants and young children under 2-years-old in China]
Aidong Liu1, Liyun Zhao, Dongmei Yu
1Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China.
Insights
China
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Infant Feeding Practices
Context:
- Feeding practices are crucial for infant and young child nutrition.
- Understanding trends in infant feeding is vital for public health interventions in China.
- Previous data on infant feeding trends in China is limited.
Purpose:
- To analyze the current feeding situation and identify trends among infants and young children under two years old in China.
- To assess breastfeeding rates and complementary feeding practices.
Summary:
- A 2006 study surveyed 7204 children under two in 14 Chinese provinces.
- The national exclusive breastfeeding rate for infants under six months was 49.2%.
- Complementary feeding practices varied, with early or late introduction and nutritional inadequacy concerns.
Impact:
- Highlights the need for improved infant and young child nutrition strategies in China.
- Identifies low breastfeeding rates, particularly in rural areas, as a public health concern.
- Underscores the importance of appropriate complementary feeding timing and food quality.
Objective:
To analyze the feeding situation and change trend of the infants and young children under the age of 2 years in China.
Methods:
The multi-stage cluster probability sampling was used to select randomly total 7204 infants and young children under the age of 2 years from Chinese 14 provinces, autonomy regions and municipalities. Questionnaires for parents were used to collect the information of feeding.
Results:
The national breastfeeding rate of infant under 6 months was 49.2% in 2006, which of urban and rural was 51.9% and 48.5% respectively. About the complementary feeding of the infants and young children of 6 to 24 months old, the addition rate of formula, common milk and milk products, cereals, meats, aquatic products, eggs, legume, vegetable and fruit is 41.8%, 47.6%, 94.4%, 78.0%, 59.9%, 87.4%, 64.9% and 90.2% respectively.
Conclusion:
The nutritional status of infants and young children still need further concerns, for the reason that the exclusive breastfeeding rate remained in a low level, especially the rate in rural areas showed a dramatic decreased trend. Meanwhile, the complementary feeding frequently begins too early or too late, and foods are often nutritionally inadequate and unsafe.
