A study on infant and young child feeding practices and its associated factors among mothers of under two years children attending immunisation clinic in a medical college of Kolkata

INTRODUCTION: Appropriate feeding practices play a crucial role in achieving optimal health outcome. Feeding practices since birth at least up to young infancy has vital physical and mental health-related implications. Exclusive breast feeding (EBF) has an important role in prevention of diarrhoea and other leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. In this background, this study was conducted with the following objectives. OBJECTIVES: To assess the birth history of child and their feeding history, to find out the various socio-demographic profile of the mothers, to assess the knowledge on EBF and to find out the factors associated (if any) with the practice of EBF. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers of children aged 0 to 24 months, who were attending the immunisation clinic in a medical college in Kolkata. As per NFHS-4, 47.7% of the children were breast fed within 1 hour of birth in Kolkata. This value is considered to calculate sample size. With 95% confidence interval, 10% allowable absolute error and 5% non-respondent, final sample size came to be 101. Data was collected by interviewing the mothers, using a semi-structured, pre-designed and pre-tested oral schedule which was mainly based on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices mentioned by the World Health Organization. Data was collected from 6 January 2020 to 21 February 2020. RESULTS: In this study, male was 45 (44.6%), female was 56 (55.4%). Majority (75.2%) belonged to urban area. About 18.8% of mothers were educated up to secondary level. 53.5% were delivered in private facility and 55.4% delivered by caesarean section. Only 32.7% of new-borns were initiated breast feeding within 1 hour and 31.7% of new-borns given pre lacteal feeding. Majority (88.1%) of the children received colostrum and 52.5% of the children were given EBF. Majority (63.4%) of mothers had knowledge about EBF. EBF was significantly associated with mothers’ knowledge about EBF, [OR (95%CI) = 5.52 (2.26-13.51). EBF also had significant association with the normal vaginal type of delivery of the baby [OR (95%CI) = 3.42 (1.49-7.83)] as well as with the mother who were homemaker [OR (95%CI) = 4.29 (1.52-12.09)]. CONCLUSION: Considerable proportion of children were born at private facility and delivered by caesarean section. A significant percentage of new-borns were given pre-lacteal feeding. EBF were significantly more among educated mothers.