Infant and young child feeding practices and child undernutrition in Bangladesh: insights from nationally
Amanda Zongrone1, Kate Winskell, Purnima Menon
1Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Insights
Good infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, including exclusive breastfeeding and diverse diets, are crucial for improving child growth and nutritional status in Bangladesh. Interventions should focus on promoting these practices to prevent malnutrition.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Childhood malnutrition remains a significant public health concern globally, particularly in low-income countries.
- Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices are critical determinants of a child's growth and nutritional status.
- Understanding the specific associations between IYCF indicators and anthropometric outcomes is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between key Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) indicators and anthropometric measures of nutritional status.
- To assess the impact of feeding practices on growth parameters in children aged 0-23 months using nationally representative data.
- To identify specific IYCF practices that are associated with better nutritional outcomes in young children.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, involving 2096 mother-infant pairs.
- Utilized multiple linear regression and logistic regression, adjusted for complex survey design and controlling for child, maternal, and household characteristics.
- Included regional dummy variables to account for geographical variations.
Main Results:
- Exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months was linked to a higher weight-for-height Z-score (ES = 0.29, P < 0.05).
- Appropriate complementary feeding (6-8 months) was associated with improved height-for-age Z-score (HAZ; ES = 0.63, P < 0.01) and weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ; ES = 0.30, P < 0.05).
- Higher dietary diversity scores (DDI) positively correlated with HAZ and WAZ, and achieving minimum diet diversity was linked to higher HAZ. Exclusive breastfeeding protected against wasting, while DDI protected against stunting and underweight.
Conclusions:
- Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices are significant determinants of child growth and nutritional status in Bangladesh.
- Interventions should comprehensively address the spectrum of IYCF practices, from exclusive breastfeeding to age-appropriate complementary feeding and dietary diversity.
- Improving IYCF practices is a critical strategy for enhancing the nutritional well-being of infants and young children.
Objective:
To determine the association between indicators of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and anthropometric measures of nutritional status among children aged 0-23 months in a nationally representative data set.
Design:
Data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were used. Analyses were conducted using multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses adjusted for the complex survey design of the survey, controlling for child, maternal and household characteristics, and including regional dummy variables.
Setting:
Bangladesh.
Subjects:
Pairs (n 2096) of last born infants and their mothers.
Results:
Exclusive breast-feeding under 6 months of age was associated with higher weight-for-height Z-score (effect size (ES) = 0·29; P < 0·05). Appropriate complementary feeding in children aged 6-8 months was associated with higher height-for-age Z-score (HAZ; ES = 0·63; P < 0·01) and higher weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ; ES = 0·30; P < 0·05). Higher dietary diversity index (DDI) was associated with higher HAZ (ES = 0·08; P < 0·01 for every 1 point higher DDI) and higher WAZ (ES = 0·04; P < 0·05). Children who achieved minimum diet diversity had higher HAZ (ES = 0·20; P < 0·05). Logistic regression models confirmed that exclusive breast-feeding was protective against wasting and DDI was protective against stunting and underweight.
Conclusions:
Our results highlight the importance of IYCF practices as determinants of child growth outcomes in this context, and reinforce the need for interventions that address the spectrum of IYCF practices, from exclusive breast-feeding to age-appropriate complementary feeding, especially diet diversity, in efforts to improve nutrition of infants and young children.
