Breast feeding behavior and supplementary food pattern of villagers in Udon Thani Province, northeast Thailand.

Breast feeding and supplementary food patterns were studied in 3 villages, of Udon Thani Province in Northeast Thailand. All children of 58 mothers were breast fed. Moreover, 42 mothers (72.4%), advised by health workers, fed their children with colostrum. Those who did not give colostrum believed that colostrum may cause diarrhea. Fifty-one (87.9%) children were fed Kaw Yam, northeast native food made out of baked chewed banana and sticky rice, within 1-7 days after birth. The mothers believed that the food will fill the child's stomach, and consequently, her baby will stop to cry. Powder milk was also given to the child as supplementary food. A powder milk had a high social value for the mother and also health worker advised them to feed the children with it. Rice porridge was additionally supplemented at the age of 6-8 months until weaning or, at the time when the child had two front teeth. Child's weaning was forced by applying the nipples with local bitter tasting herb. This study indicates that any health education within a community should be aware of traditional belief and customs of the population. The promotion of proper breast feeding, and the introduction of supplementary food to children should be consider traditional beliefs and combine it with health educational means, which will result in a better adoptability of the villagers to the promotion of adequate infant feeding.