The multiple factors of suboptimal early feeding practices among infants aged 0-5 months in Indonesia
Christiana Rialine Titaley1, Ratna U Wijayanti2, Anifatun Mu'asyaroh3
1Faculty of Medicine, Pattimura University, Poka Campus, Ambon, Indonesia.
Insights
Suboptimal infant feeding practices, including delayed breastfeeding and prelacteal feeding, affect over 78% of Indonesian infants. Factors like C-section delivery and urban living are associated with these poor feeding outcomes, highlighting the need for integrated interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Optimal early infant feeding is crucial for growth and development.
- Suboptimal practices, including delayed breastfeeding, prelacteal feeding, and non-exclusive breastfeeding, pose risks to infants.
- Indonesia faces challenges in achieving optimal early infant feeding practices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the determinants of suboptimal early feeding practices among infants aged 0-5 months in Indonesia.
- To identify factors associated with delayed breastfeeding initiation, prelacteal feeding, and non-exclusive breastfeeding.
- To inform interventions for improving infant nutrition in Indonesia.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2012 and 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys.
- Analyzed data from 3,198 infants aged 0-5 months.
- Employed logistic regression to identify determinants of delayed breastfeeding, prelacteal feeding, and non-exclusive breastfeeding.
Main Results:
- Approximately 78.6% of infants exhibited at least one suboptimal feeding practice.
- Delayed breastfeeding was linked to the Sumatera region, Cesarean section, and non-health facility delivery.
- Prelacteal feeding was associated with urban living, first birth order, and delayed breastfeeding initiation.
- Non-exclusive breastfeeding was determined by maternal non-agricultural work, Cesarean section, and first birth order.
Conclusions:
- A high prevalence of suboptimal early infant feeding practices exists in Indonesia.
- Multiple factors influence these feeding practices, necessitating a multifaceted approach.
- Integrated strategies, including health promotion and public policy, are essential to ensure adequate infant nutrition.
Background:
Optimal early infant feeding practices are critical to ensure adequate nutrition for infants' growth and development. This study aimed to examine the determinants of suboptimal early feeding practices (i.e., delayed initiation of breastfeeding, prelacteal feeding, and non-exclusive breastfeeding) among infants aged 0-5 months in Indonesia.
Methods:
We used data collected in the 2012 and 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys. Analyses were conducted using information from 3,198 live-born singleton infants aged 0-5 months. The primary outcomes used were: (1) delayed initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour after birth, (2) prelacteal feeding in the first 3 days, and (3) non-exclusive breastfeeding in the last 24 h preceding the survey. Potential predictors analyzed were categorized into the environmental, household, maternal, pregnancy, delivery, and child characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors significantly associated with each outcome.
Results:
Approximately 78,6% of infants aged 0-5 months in Indonesia had at least one of the three suboptimal early infant feeding practices. We found a strong association between the three outcome indicators analyzed. The determinants of delayed initiation of breastfeeding included infants from Sumatera region (adjusted odds ratios (aOR) = 2.02, p < 0.001), infants delivered by Cesarean section (aOR = 2.78, p < 0.001), and in non-health facilities (aOR = 1.53, p = 0.003). The determinants of prelacteal feeding in the first 3 days included infants living in urban areas (aOR = 1.32, p = 0.035), the first birth-ranked infants (aOR = 1.32, p = 0.019), and infants who had delayed initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour of life (aOR = 3.90, p < 0.001). The determinants of non-exclusive breastfeeding in the last 24 h included infants whose mothers worked in non-agricultural fields (aOR = 1.52, p < 0.001), infants delivered by Cesarean section (aOR = 1.33, p = 0.044), and the first birth-ranked infants (aOR = 1.28, p = 0.039).
Conclusion:
There was a high percentage of infants aged 0-5 months who had suboptimal feeding practices in Indonesia. As we found multiple factors associated with suboptimal early feeding practices among infants, integrated approaches, including health promotion and supportive public policy, are required to ensure infants receive adequate nutrition in the early stages of life.
