Improving Feeding Practices: Current Patterns, Common Constraints, and the Design of Interventions

Abstract

We propose a set of "best-practice complementary feeding behaviors," which were derived by combining principles of psychosocial care with current knowledge in nutritional sciences. We provide a theoretical rationale for assessing and describing complementary feeding practices in terms of what is fed, how food is prepared and given, who feeds the child, when food is fed (frequency and scheduling), and the feeding environment (where). We also discuss the significance of selected sociocultural determinants of these practices for the design of interventions. We then review 18 case studies in relation to these practices and their determinants. The exercise, in which we abstracted data from ethnographic reports, revealed areas of congruence and deviations from best-practice behaviors. The data on feeding practices are described with a common framework to facilitate comparison across sites. Key themes emerging from the studies include the significance of the larger family, the effects of competing maternal time demands, and the importance of parental perceptions and cultural constructs in affecting complementary feeding practices. Finally, we discuss the implications of the findings for future interventions.

Recomendações para alimentação complementar da criança em aleitamento materno

“…7 Currently, WHO recommends that mothers/caregivers of infants younger than two years follow the responsive feeding practice, which employs the principles of psychosocial care. 79,80 This practice includes respect for the physiological mechanism that self-regulates the appetite in infants, helping them to feed until they feel satiated, and requires that mothers/caregivers be aware of the signs of hunger and satiety expressed by the infants. Infants should be fed slowly and patiently until they feel satiated; they should never be force-fed.…”

Child factors associated with complementary feeding practices in Uganda

“…3 Wasting and stunting typically accelerate between the ages of 6 and 23 months, the phase when complementary feeding is needed, partly because the child becomes increasingly independent and mobile and thus exposed to environmental contaminants. 4 Common childhood illnesses, such as diarrhoea, affect complementary feeding by reducing a child's appetite. 5 Health workers tend to advise caregivers on complementary feeding practices during immunisation consultations.…”

Kebiasaan sarapan tidak berhubungan dengan status gizi anak sekolah dasar di Kabupaten Timor Tengah Selatan, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur

“…Faktor lain yang berpengaruh adalah kebersihan makanan yang dikonsumsi anak. Faktor kebersihan merupakan salah satu faktor penting dalam pemberian makan kepada anak (29).…”