DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i06.081

Pages: 2260-2265

Complementary feeding practices are often far from optimal, involving food with poor quality and limited variety that are not hygienically prepared and that are given in too small amount or not frequently enough. These are mainly responsible for aggravating malnutrition.The present study is designed to assess the prevalence of optimal complementary feeding practices and its determinants in rural area of Kamrup, Assam. Across-sectional study was conducted from 1st February 2014 to 31st July 2014. Considering the prevalence of complementary feeding amongst 7-12 months infants in rural areas of Assam as 67% (DLHS-3), relative precision of 10% of P and design effect of 1.5, sample size was calculated as 250. A total of 250 infants were studied for complementary feeding practices (CF). CF was initiated by the 54.4% of mothers at the age of 6 months, 19.2% were initiated before 6 months and 26.4% were initiated after 6 months. Most of the mothers (33.3%) reason behind the early initiation of CF was insufficient breast milk and 50% of mothers replied reason behind the delayed initiation of CF was infant could not digest. The infants born at Govt. institution (61.5%) received CF at 6 months as compared to private institution (32.1%) or home (31.2%) (P<0.0001). 60.8% of normally delivered infants started CF at 6 months to as compared to 50% of infants born by caesarean section (P<0.0005). Most of the mothers (56.8%) have given semi-solid food followed by Animal milk (35.2%) as CF.