Infant feeding practices in Bombay slums

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Infant feeding practices are crucial for child survival and development.
• Suboptimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding are significant public health concerns in developing regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess infant feeding practices in slum communities in Bombay.
• To identify the prevalence of breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and the use of commercial infant foods.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted in two slum areas.
• 153 mothers with children under two years were interviewed.
• Data collected on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and infant food product usage.

Main Results:

• 96% of infants under 4 months received breast milk, but exclusive breastfeeding was only 37%.
• The timely complementary feeding rate was low at 48%.
• Bottle feeding was used by 23% of mothers; commercial milk formula and weaning foods were used by 15.7% and 8.5% respectively.

Conclusions:

• Breastfeeding initiation is high, but exclusive breastfeeding and timely complementary feeding require improvement.
• Interventions are needed to promote optimal infant feeding practices and reduce reliance on bottles and commercial products.