ABSTRACT

Adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood is essential to ensure healthy growth and development of children. This study determined the infant and young child feeding practices among mothers with children 0-24months in Umuahia South Local Government Area (L.G.A) Abia State. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 216 mothers with 0-24month old children from 5 distinct villages in Umuahia south who were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on the respondents socio-demographic characteristics, breastfeeding practices, complementary feeding practices and anthropometric status of the children using weighing scale and heightometer. The study's objective was to enhance our understanding of the nutritional care provided to infants and young children in this region and identify potential areas for improvement. Descriptive and chi-square statistics were used to analyze variables. Results revealed that most of the respondents (75.5) in the study fell within the 18-34 age group, 70.8% were married, and (97.2%) practiced Christianity. Most of the respondents (71.3%) gave birth in a health facility, 94% breastfed their babies and 70.8% breastfed them on demand. About 72.7% of the respondents initiated complementary feeding before 6months while 70.8% continued breastfeeding alongside with complementary feeding. Almost half of the respondents (43.1%) had Medium Dietary Diversity Score, with 4-6 food groups. The result of the anthropometric indicators among the children population revealed a high (69.0%) prevalence of stunting (severely stunted (≤ -3SD) while that of underweight was 21.8%. The frequency of meals revealed most of the children (96.7) consumed meals within the cereal group within the last 24 hours. Statistical tests showed that there was a relationship between early initiation of breastfeeding and stunting, the value of p=-0.124.In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of infant and young child feeding practices in Umuahia South LGA. The findings emphasize the importance of promoting early initiation of breastfeeding and improved complementary feeding practices. Targeted education and interventions are necessary to ensure that mothers receive the support and knowledge needed to provide optimal nutrition for their infants and young children, ultimately promoting the health and well-being of the next generation in this region.