Dalbhanjan Josephine S, Kadam Yugantara
Community and Family Medicine, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad, IND.
Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM), Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Karad, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 23;16(9):e70030. doi: 10.7759/cureus.70030. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Breastfeeding provides nutrients and antibodies crucial for developing infants and their immune systems. Understanding the current breastfeeding and weaning practices helps identify areas requiring improvements to boost infant health outcomes. The World Health Organization and other health bodies recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Then, complementary feeding should be introduced along with breastfeeding, which should be continued for up to two years or more.
This study aims to analyze the perception and practices of breastfeeding and weaning among mothers with 9- to 12-month-old infants.
This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Krishna Hospital and Research Centre, Karad, for a period of six months. A validated questionnaire developed by investigators was used as the study tool. Mothers visiting the immunization clinics with their 9- to 12-month-old infants were enrolled in the study. Infants diagnosed as having inborn metabolic disorders, diabetes, heart diseases, and congenital malformations and those who were on special feeds or diets were not included in the study.
The majority of the study participants (28 [33%]) initiated weaning when the infants were six to seven months of age, with the earliest being five months (8 [10%]). Five (6%) mothers could not initiate weaning until the infants were 12 months old. The most common weaning food was dal and rice with ghee (24 [29%]). A total of 50 (60%) participants used plastic bottles for feeding, and among them, 30 (36%) mothers used bottles to give water to their infants. A total of 23 (27%) participants did not feed their infants colostrum. The most common hunger cue was crying (82 [98%]), whereas the least common cue was mouth opening (8 [9%]). The incorrect practices followed by the mothers were late initiation of breastfeeding because of which colostrum could not be fed to the neonate; incorrect breastfeeding technique, that is, feeding little milk from each side of the breast without emptying one breast completely; late or no initiation of weaning foods; and offering less amount of weaning food than that required by the infant according to its nutritional demand.
Initiating breastfeeding early and continuing breastfeeds along with complimentary feeds are essential for optimal infant growth.
母乳喂养为发育中的婴儿及其免疫系统提供至关重要的营养物质和抗体。了解当前的母乳喂养和断奶做法有助于确定需要改进的领域，以促进婴儿的健康状况。世界卫生组织和其他卫生机构建议婴儿在出生后的前六个月进行纯母乳喂养。然后，应在母乳喂养的同时引入辅食，并持续进行母乳喂养至两岁或更长时间。
本研究旨在分析9至12个月婴儿母亲对母乳喂养和断奶的认知及做法。
本横断面分析研究在卡拉德的克里希纳医院和研究中心进行，为期六个月。研究工具采用研究人员编制的经过验证的问卷。携带9至12个月婴儿前往免疫诊所就诊的母亲被纳入研究。被诊断患有先天性代谢紊乱、糖尿病、心脏病和先天性畸形的婴儿以及那些接受特殊喂养或饮食的婴儿不包括在研究范围内。
大多数研究参与者（28名[33%]）在婴儿六至七个月大时开始断奶，最早的是五个月（8名[10%]）。五名（6%）母亲直到婴儿12个月大时才开始断奶。最常见的断奶食物是加酥油的豆类和米饭（24名[29%]）。共有50名（60%）参与者使用塑料瓶喂养，其中30名（36%）母亲用奶瓶给婴儿喂水。共有23名（27%）参与者没有给婴儿喂初乳。最常见的饥饿信号是哭闹（82名[98%]），而最不常见的信号是张嘴（8名[9%]）。母亲们存在的错误做法包括：因未能及时开始母乳喂养而未给新生儿喂初乳；不正确的母乳喂养技巧，即每侧乳房只喂少量奶而未完全排空一侧乳房；断奶食物添加过晚或未添加；以及根据婴儿营养需求提供的断奶食物量少于所需量。
尽早开始母乳喂养并在添加辅食的同时持续进行母乳喂养对婴儿的最佳生长至关重要。
