A survey on the starting age of complementary feeding and some of its associated factors in the breast-feeding infants (Semnan, Iran)

• Main Authors: A. Shahbazi, R. Ghorbani, F. Frivar, AR. Shah-Hoseini
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Semnan Univeristy of Medical Sciences 2007-11-01
• Series: Majallah-i ̒Ilmī-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Simnān
• Subjects: Complementary feeding; Infant; Beginning age of nutrition
• Online Access: http://www.koomeshjournal.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-4-15&slc_lang=en&sid=1&ftxt=1

Introduction: There is a relationship between children’s survival, development and health and theirfeeding. Malnutrition is a common complication in most of the developing countries. Complementaryfeeding begins in infants when they can not obtain enough energy and nutrients from mother’s milk.Both early and late beginning of complementary nutrition lead to severe complications, and suitableage for feeding in infants is after month 6. The present study was performed to estimate the age ofbeginning of complementary feeding and related factors in infants of Semnan.Materials&Methods: In this cross sectional study, 400 infants aged 6-12 months were analized viaquestionnaire. In each of 8 health centers in Semnan, 50 mothers who referred to health care centers,filled up questionnaires.Results: 76.3% of mothers begin the complementary feeding from 6 months after delivery. Themost common complementary food, which was used, was cereal (69.5%). Mean (±SD) beginning ageof complementary feeding was 5.86±0.60 month. Most of mothers (97.5%) had been receivedinformation about infant’s feeding through appointments, books, vaccination card and pamphlet priorto their infants reach to age 6 month. There was a significant relationship between occupation ofmother (P=0.049), age of mother (P=0.040), father's educational level (P=0.002), type of delivery(P=0.015) and the beginning age of complementary feeding. However, no significant relationship wasobserved between gender, type of milk, birth order, type of health care center, mother's educationallevel, first complementary feeding, type of mother's education and the beginning age ofcomplementary feeding.Conclusion: The findings of current study showed that 97.5% of mothers were educated forbeginning of complementary feeding in a suitable time; however, about 23% of them didn’t begincomplementary feeding in an appropriate time. Therefore, it seems more effective education isnecessary to give by health care centers to mothers especially for older mothers and those have normaldelivery.