breast and complementary feeding practice of women attending primary health care centre

BREAST AND COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING PRACTICE OF WOMEN ATTENDING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE, IKOTUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF LAGOS STATE

ABSTRACT

The study examined the practice of exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding and care practice of the mother resident in Alimosho Local Government Area. To achieve this, samples of two hundred (200) lactating mothers were randomly selected from Ikotun Health Centre. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Finding shows that 94% of the mothers breastfed their infants exclusively. The duration of the children breastfed ranged from between 4 – 6months with majority of the respondents (99%) breastfed for 4 months. Ogi was the most popular complementary food given (95%). Majority (89%) of the respondent introduced complementary food between 4 – 6 months. Majority of the infants were immunized fully for the first year of life. The absence of the practice of exclusive breastfeeding and adequate feeding as recommended by WHO/PAHO (2003) raises serious nutrition and health concerns for child survival in the area. The study advocates the need for nutrition and extension education for mothers on the importance of adequate feeding and care practice for infants.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page	I
Certification …………………………………………………………………………………..	ii
Dedication …………………………………………………………………………………….	iii
Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………………………….	iv
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………..	V
Table Of Contents ………………………………………………………………………….	vi – vii

Chapter One: Introduction Background of the study	1-8
Purpose of Study ……………………………………………………………………………	8
Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………….	8-9
Research Hypothesis ……………………………………………………………………..	9
Significance of the Study …………………………………………………………………	9
Scope and Limitation of Study …………………………………………………………	9
Definition of Terms …………………………………………………………………………	10 – 11

Chapter Two: Review of Literature
Literature Review …………………………………………………………………………..	12 – 17
Breast & Complementary Feeding Practices ……………………………………..	17 – 21
Composition of the Breast Milk …………………………………………………………	21
Main Advantages of Breast Feeding …………………………………………………	21-23
Advantages & Disadvantages of Breast Feeding ………………………………..	23-25
Benefits of Breast & Complementary Feeding ……………………………………	25-30

Chapter Three: Research Methodology
Research Methodology …………………………………………………………………..	31
Research Design ……………………………………………………………………………	31
Population of the Study …………………………………………………………………..	31
Samples and Sampling Techniques ………………………………………………….	36
Instrument for Data Collection ………………………………………………………….	32
Validation of Instrument …………………………………………………………………..	32
Statistical Analysis ………………………………………………………………………….	32

Chapter Four: Data Analysis and Presentation of Result
Hypotheses/Discussions …………………………………………………………………	33 – 43

Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusion & Recommendations
Summary……………………………………………………………………………………….	44-45
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………..	45
Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………..	46
Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………..	47
Appendix ………………………………………………………………………………………	48 – 51

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Infant feeding begins while the foetus is in the mother’s uterus, hence a good diet in pregnancy is important to ensure that the baby is born with the best possible nutritional feeding as all the activities of mothers and those that care for the child in terms of the feeding of the infant. This implies that infant feeding practices are nutritional behaviour and actions by mothers and infant-care providers which have direct implications for the nutritional status of the infant.

Infant feeding practices according to Jellifte (1980) include Breastfeeding, Artificial feeding and Mixed feeding. Breastfeeding according to Martin (1998) is a process of giving food to human beings or an animal in order to enable the body to function effectively. He added that Breastfeeding constitutes to the most vital part of Infant’s Progressive Development.

Breast milk represents complete natural food because of its balanced nature, containing carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and antibodies, which provide protection to the body. It is also cheap, according to Caliendo (2000).

Breastfeeding has been found to offer physiological, immunological, nutritional and psychological advantage to the infant, and psychological and physiological benefits to the mother. That is why Arkutu (1995) advised that every infant should be breastfed for at least the first 6 months of life. He added that infants who are not breastfed exclusively are twice likely to die than those who are breastfed. Oladipo (1991) observed that breastfed infants are less sensitive to gastrointestinal infections and less likely to develop allergic disease like asthma, than bottle-fed infants. Not only does breast feeding provide an infant with its natural nourishment, it also helps to promote the bonding of mother and infant, which is very important in the psychological development of the infant. Jellifte (1980). He therefore suggested that even if an infant should be artificially fed, he or she should be fed by the mother and should be held warmly and comfortably as if it’s being fed on the breast.

Many nursing mothers have given various reasons for either not breastfeeding their infants, or taking them off the breast too soon. Such reasons according to Njoku (1988) includes, the breast being too small or too large and incapable of producing enough milk to satisfy the infant, breastfeeding tying the mother down too much, breastfeeding being too tiring, and inconveniencing, others are, the mother being sick, being pregnant again, mother working or schooling and the claim by some mothers that they avoid breastfeeding so as to maintain their physique.

Waterlow (1981) and Whitehead (1985) identified other reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding too early as cracked or sore nipples, breast engorgement, infected breast, breast abscesses, flat or inverted nipples, fear and pain. They suggest that infants should be breastfed whenever it is safe to do so because the milk of even poorly fed mothers is normal in protein content but small in quantity.

Whitehead (1985) pointed out that when an infant’s only source of food is the mother’s milk, it has to meet the energy needs. Energy needs, according to him, depends on the body weight of the infant which is estimated to vary from 500 to below 420kg, declining as age advances. Whitehead estimated that healthy infants at two, four and six months need about 780, 830 and 1000mls of milk daily.

In addition to breastfeeding, an infant can be fed artificially. When an infant cannot be sustained adequately on breast milk, mothers have to supplement so as to meet the nutritional needs of the infant. After 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding is to be introduced.

Complementary food of an adequate macro and micro nutrient density are needed for optimal growth and development after six months of age when breast milk can no longer fully satisfy infant nutritional requirements.

Between 6 and 24 months, the requirement for iron and zinc are particularly difficult to satisfy in the absence of fortified food or supplements. As a result, the prevalence of anaemia is higher during this age range than at any other time during the life cycle. The use of iron fortified complementary foods led to the elimination iron deficiency anaemia as a public health problem.

Mixed feeding according to Garba (1986) means giving semi-solid foods such as cereals and mashed vegetable as well as milk feeds from breast or bottle. Complementary feeding should commence at four to six months of infant’s life and the infant should get used to varied diet before the infant is gradually taken off the breast. The above advice is supported by UNICEF (1994) who pointed out that the period between the introduction of complementary feeding, which is commonly referred to as weaning period, is a time of particular danger to the infant.

Adequate nutrition and health care during the fist few years of life is fundamental for infant survival and prevention of malnutrition, it is important to note that it is during infancy and early childhood that irreversible faltering in linear growth and cognitive deficit occurs (2,3).

Inadequate nutrition during the critical formative years have both immediate and long term consequences. The immediate consequence include morbidity, mortality and delayed physical and mental development, which long term consequence include impaired intellectual performance, reproductive capacity, work capacity and increased risk of chronic disease.

According to Luther, C (meeting the challenge to improve complementary feeding. SCN NEWS 2003. The causes of malnutrition in infant can be summarised as both behavioural and resources related. Behavioural in the sense that poor breastfeeding and inadequate complementary feeding coupled with poor environmental sanitation and infectious diseases, are the immediate direct causes, while the resource related causes are household poverty and inadequate healthcare. Studies have shown that promotion of exclusive breastfeeding ranked first among intervention programmes for reducing under-five mortality. According to Pelletier D.L. (2003), report shows that only about 35% of infants worldwide are exclusively breastfed during the first 4 months of life. According to WHO Global Strategy for Infant and Young Children Feeding, Rome 2003. Complementary feeding frequently begins too early or too late and the food given are often nutritionally inadequate and unsafe.

According to IITA, SCN NEW 2006, there are consequentially an increasing number of malnourished infants. In Nigeria, mild and moderate malnutrition contributes to 35% death than severe malnutrition which contributes only 10%.

According to NDHS 2003, National data from the Nigeria Food Consumption and Nutritiion Survey, NFCNS (2000 – 2003) on under – 5 nutrition showed that 42% of the infant were stunted, 25% were under-weight.

According to Frongillo, appropriate complementary feeding requires not introducing foods, other than breast milk too early or too late, coupled with feeding infants and young children between 6–24 months foods considered safe and nutritionally adequate without discontinuing breastfeeding.

Infants need only breast milk for their first 6 months of life. There is no need for extra water or juice and no need for tipping up with infant formula. Around 6 months, the infant will continue to breastfeed with the introduction of complementary food for the most robust short and long term health and developmental advantages for infant and better health advantages for the mother, exclusive breastfeeding is optional. Giving infant formula can reduce infant appetite for breastfeeding, which in turn reduces the amount of milk an infant removes from the breast.

Infants should be exclusively breastfed until they are ready for and need extra food. This will be at around 6 months of age. When infants are ready, introduce them to appropriate complementary foods (solid) and continue to breastfeed until they are at least one year of age or beyond.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study was to:

Determine if exclusive breastfeeding is being practiced by women attending Primary healthcare in Ikotun Local Government Area.
To find out the duration of breastfeeding practice by the women.
To evaluate the complementary food given to the infants.
To assess the care practice of the women.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

When should we decide about breastfeeding?
Is there any significance between breastfeeding and complementary feeding?
Is there any special preparation required for breast and complementary feeding?

HYPOTHESIS

There will be no significant difference between breast and complementary

feeding.

There will be no significant difference between preparation of breast food

and complementary feeding.

There are no significant differences between well fed infants and the

infants that are not well fed.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The significance of the study is to help understand the effects of infants that are not well breastfed.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY

The scope of this study is limited to the women attending Primary Healthcare at Ikotun Local Government Area of Lagos State.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Complementary Feeding: this is the process of starting when breast milk or infant formula alone is no longer sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements of an infant and when other foods and liquids along with breast milk or breast milk substitute are needed. The age range for complementary feeding is generally 6-24 months.

Colostrum: This is a thick, yellowish fluid rich in protein, antibodies and other infection-fighting agent that is more concentrated than mature breast milk.

Breast: These are the two mammary glands of a woman that secrets milk during lactation.

Exclusive Breastfeeding: This applies to infants who were given nothing but breast milk 24 hours preceding the interview.

Complementary Food: This applies to infants who were breastfed and given solid or semi-solid food in 24 hours before survey.

Coverage: Population base.

Are You In Need Of Help? Call us or Whatsapp us @ (+234) 08093239919, or Via Email: unifinalprojects@gmail.com

Disclaimer: The copyright owner created this PDF Content to serve as a RESEARCH GUIDE for students to conduct academic research.

The original PDF Research Material Guide that you receive can be used in the following ways.

1. To provide additional information about the topic of the project.

2. You can use them as a resource for your research (if you properly reference them).

3. Proper paraphrasing is required (consult your school’s definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase).

4. If properly referenced, direct citation.
We are grateful for your consideration of the copyright of the authors.

Thank you so much for respecting the authors copyright.

Are You in Need of Help? Call us or Whatsapp us @ (+234) 08093239919 or Via Email: unifinalprojects@gmail.com