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Breast-feeding practices in Schedule Caste communities in Haryana state
1Human Nutrition Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Insights
This study on infant feeding practices in Haryana found low exclusive breastfeeding rates but high continued breastfeeding. Findings highlight the need for improved infant and young child feeding strategies in Schedule Caste communities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition
Background:
- Breastfeeding is crucial for infant health and development.
- Understanding infant feeding practices is essential for targeted public health interventions.
- Schedule Caste communities may face unique challenges impacting feeding behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate various breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices.
- To assess rates of exclusive breastfeeding, predominant breastfeeding, and continued breastfeeding.
- To analyze bottle-feeding and timely complementary feeding in young children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 818 children aged 0-3 years.
- Data collection on breastfeeding practices, complementary feeding, and bottle-feeding.
- Analysis of rates including exclusive breastfeeding, predominant breastfeeding, and continued breastfeeding.
Main Results:
- Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 0.15 for children under 4 months.
- Predominant breastfeeding rate was 0.75 for children under 4 months.
- Continued breastfeeding rates were 0.84 at 1 year and 0.58 at 2 years.
- Timely complementary feeding rate was 0.42.
- Median duration of breastfeeding was 16 months.
Conclusions:
- Exclusive breastfeeding rates are suboptimal in the studied population.
- Continued breastfeeding rates remain significant but decline over time.
- Interventions promoting exclusive and timely complementary feeding are needed.
Abstract:
A study was conducted to assess exclusive breast-feeding, continued breast-feeding, bottle-feeding, predominant breast-feeding, timely complementary feeding and other breast-feeding practices in 818 children in the age group of 0-3 years belonging to the Schedule Caste communities of Haryana. The exclusive breast-feeding rate was 0.15 and the predominant breast-feeding rate 0.75 in children < 4 months. Timely complementary feeding rate was 0.42. The continued breast-feeding rate at 1 year and 2 years was 0.84 and 0.58, respectively. The bottle-feeding rate, ever breast-fed rate, timely first-suckling rate and exclusive breast-feeding rate by mother were 0.09, 1.0, 0.0 and 0.15, respectively. The median duration of breast-feeding was 16 months.