The optimal infant and young child feeding practices during the first 2 years of life is of paramount importance as this period is the "critical window" for the promotion of health, good growth, behavioral and cognitive development. Optimal infant and young child feeding practices include initiation of breast-feeding within 1 hour of birth, exclusive breast-feeding for the first 6 months, and continuation of breast-feeding for 2 years or more, along with nutritionally adequate, safe, age Background: Breast-feeding practices play an important role in reducing mortality and morbidity among children. The optimal infant and young child feeding practices during the first 2 years of life is of paramount importance. Objective: To study infant and young child feeding practices with special emphasis on infant young child feeding indicators in a field practice area of Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC), Gujarat, India. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted for 6 months, i.e., from Jan 2013 to July 2013, at the RHTC. A total of 300 eligible mothers having children aged 0-23 months were approached through house to house visit by convenient sampling method and data collected regarding infant young child feeding practices. Result: Of the total 300 studied children, 120 were below 6 months and 180 children were of 6-23 months age group. Of the 120 children who belonged to less than 6 months age group, the majority (94.2%) were put on breast-feeding within 1 hour of birth, while only 4.2% children were given prelacteal feed. Ninety-five percent children were exclusively breast-fed for 6 months. All mothers of children who belonged to 12-23 months age group continued breast-feeding upto 2 years. Of all, 59.8% started complementary feeding at 6 months. Of 180 children belonging to 6-23 months age group, 28.3% were fed from four or more food groups whereas 71.7% from less than four. Minimum meal frequency (MMF) was adequate in 95.6% while minimum acceptable diet (MAD) was observed in 28.3% of children. Conclusion: This study revealed reasonably good infant and young child feeding practices, but a few indicators especially the MAD indicator is poor and it shows the inadequacy of minimum dietary diversity combined with MMF among the children studied.

INTRODUCTIONUnder any situation, breast milk is the best food for the infant. Breast milk provides the main source of food in the first year of life.1 Current knowledge and expertise has not been able to manufacture a superior food for young infants than mother"s milk. Breast feeding is the best way to satisfy the nutritional and psychological needs of the baby. 2Breastfeeding confers short-term and long-term benefits on both child and mother, including helping to protect children against a variety of acute and chronic disorders. The review of studies from developing countries shows that infants who are not breastfed are 6-10 times more likely to die in the first few months of life than infants who are breastfed. Diarrhea and pneumonia are more common and more severe in children who are artificially fed, and are responsible for many of these deaths. ABSTRACTBackground: Effective breastfeeding is a function of the proper positioning of mother and baby and attachment of child to the mother's breast. Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) strategy recommended systematic assessment of breastfeeding and emphasized counselling of the mother on proper positioning and attachment of infant to the breast. Objective of the study was to assess the correct position, attachment and effective suckling in the breastfeeding of infants as practiced by mothers in rural community. Methods: An observational, descriptive study was done at field practice area of rural health training centre, Dabhoda, from January 2013 to December 2013. One hundred twenty mothers of 0-6 months of aged infant were interviewed and observed for baby's position, attachment and effective suckling using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire through random selection. Grading of positioning, attachment and suckling was done according to the score of various characteristics. Data thus collected were analyzed using MS Excel 2007 and also Epi info. Results: There was poorer positioning among primipara (41.7%) than multipara (20.9%) mothers. Poorer attachment was also more evident among primipara (45.8%) compared to multipara (10.9%) mothers. Parity was significantly linked with poor positioning of infant (P value = 0.001) and attachment (P value <0.001). Maternal occupation was also significantly associated with attachment (p value = 0.028) and positioning (p value = 0.009). Preterm delivery was significantly associated with poor attachment (P value = 0.023) and poor effective suckling (P value <0.0001). Conclusions: Primipara mothers require help and support for correct breastfeeding techniques as poor positioning and attachment was found among primipara mothers.

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