Infant Feeding Practices That Substitute Exclusive Breastfeeding in a Semi-Rural Mexican Community: Types, Moments, and Associated Factors

Adapting an Evidence-Based Infant Feeding and Nutrition Program to Promote Healthy Growth and Development in Latinx Families of Low Income

OBJECTIVE

To describe the cultural adaptation of an evidence-based early childhood obesity prevention intervention for Latina mothers and nonmaternal caregivers in families of low income who speak diverse languages.

DESIGN

Participatory intervention adaptation methods were used to complete the first and second steps of the cultural adaptation process: (1) gathering information and (2) preliminary intervention adaptations.

SETTING

Southern California, US.

PARTICIPANTS

Mothers of infants aged 4-6 months and their trusted caregivers (n = 46 mother-caregiver dyads) and members of an intervention workgroup (n = 8).

INTERVENTION

Healthy Beginnings Communicating Healthy Beginnings Advice by Telephone was adapted for Latina mothers and nonmaternal caregivers.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mother and caregiver recommendations for intervention design.

ANALYSIS

We used qualitative approaches to analyze textual data for the cultural adaptation process. Notes and observations from the recorded intervention workgroup meetings were incorporated into the intervention design.

RESULTS

Content adaptations included cultural meanings of infant feeding, maternal mental health, and infant feeding practices. Intervention delivery changes included caregiver involvement, reduced in-home session time, increased session frequency, and intervention delivery by the community health workers.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Nonmaternal caregivers play an important role in intervention adaptation by ensuring that early childhood obesity prevention efforts are culturally and linguistically relevant.

Are Complementary Feeding Practices Aligned with Current Recommendations? A Narrative Review

The complementary feeding introduction period (introduction of solid foods alongside breastmilk or formula) is defining in children's health; however, it appears that many parents do not follow complementary feeding guidelines. Our aim was to describe current parental feeding practices during complementary feeding in relation to current recommendations and explore determinants of adherence to guidelines. We included any relevant studies published within the last decade in French or English and summarized findings by recommendation category. The timing of complementary food introduction varied widely across and within continents (earlier in North America and often delayed in Asia). The introduction of allergenic foods tended to be delayed globally. Although some parents now begin complementary feeding with solid foods (i.e., baby-led weaning), delayed introduction of lumpy textures was still prevalent in the United States and in Europe. The consumption of iron-rich foods was predominantly low in Africa. Added sugars were globally introduced early, especially in America. Evidence for the prevalence of responsive feeding practices among parents is unclear due to the small number of studies. Determinants of complementary feeding practices included parental characteristics, such as age, education, socio-economic status, and race/ethnicity. Interventions aiming to increase adherence to complementary feeding guidelines must account for parental characteristics.

Assessment of Breastfeeding, Weaning, and Complementary Feeding Practices Among Women Attending a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in South India

Introduction

Infants depend exclusively on mothers’ milk for nutrition in their early months of life. However, some infants are given cow/buffalo milk during insufficiency. After six months, the children are supplemented with complementary food, including solid food, to meet the nutritional requirements of a growing infant, a process known as weaning. Therefore, it is important for mothers to have a clear understanding of the nature of food, and the nutritional requirements of the children. This study aimed to understand the knowledge, awareness, and practice of breastfeeding, weaning, and complementary feeding among women.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based observational study was carried out between May and June 2021. The study included 150 women attending the outpatient department of pediatrics attached to Mahavir Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS), Vikarabad, Telangana, India. After taking the informed consent, the researcher filled out a pre-validated questionnaire based on the subjects' responses. The data regarding socio-demographic details and information regarding knowledge, timing, practices of weaning, knowledge of nutritional requirements, and child feeding practices were collected as a pre-test. An educational briefing of the essentials of child feeding practices, weaning, and dietary requirements was undertaken using chalk and board and audio-visual aids, among others. In the post-test, the knowledge of mothers regarding weaning practices, the importance of weaning, and understanding of the nutritional requirements and their inclusion in a child’s diet was assessed. The quantitative data were represented as percentages. The Chi-square test was applied to find out the statistical significance of the results obtained from the study.

Results

Of the 150 women who participated in the study, the majority belonged to the age group of 18-23 years (66.7%). Most women were illiterate (34%) and only 12% were graduates. More than 70% of the participants belonged to the middle and lower middle class. The majority of participants (96.7%) had carried out exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and 63.35% of mothers had initiated weaning their child between the age of 6-12 months. Only 37.4% of mothers started breastfeeding within hours after the delivery. A combination of all foods (36%), rice/wheat (29%), processed food (18.8%), fruits and vegetables (9.2%), and pulses (6.7%) were chosen for weaning. Many felt that eggs and meat supplementation can be done between 12-18 months.

Conclusion

The knowledge of breastfeeding and best practices of weaning and complementary feeding habits significantly affects the child’s growth and overall health. The women in this study had a moderate level of understanding regarding the aspects of breastfeeding, weaning practices, and complementary dietary requirements during weaning.