Maternal behavior concerning breast and complementary feeding of children younger than 15 months during acute diarrheal disease

Abstract

At the Oral Rehydration Service, Hospital lnfantil, Medellín, Colombia, the mothers of 300 children younger than 15 months. Suffering from acute diarreal disease, were surveyed concerning changes introduced in infant feeding during diarrheal episodes. their duration and the reasons for them ; also explored was the relationship between such changes, the years of schooling of the mother and her place of residence In the clty. Two hundred and eighteen mothers (72.7%) belonged to the low socioeconomical class, 17 (5.7%) were 1IIiterate and only 19 (6.3%) had finished secondary school. Children were more frequently (69%) between 5 and 12 months. One hundred and twenty mothers (40%) breast-fed their children and all of them continued to do so during the diarrheal episode; however, 16 mothers (13.3%) decreased and 50 (41.7%) increased the daily number of feedings. Of 295 mothers who gave milk formulae to their children 66 (22.4%) continued to do so with no change; 89 (30.2%) discontinued them, 83 (28.1%) decreased the amount given and 65 (22%) started with a diluted preparation. Concerning complementary feeding two patterns of behavior were found during the diarrheal episode: some Items were frequently discontinued, among them: candy (77.2%), egg (66.7%), beans (65.8%), chocolate (60.7%), fats (59.4%) and carbonated drinks (55.2%). Others, by contrast, were frequently continued, name- Iy: meat (69%), plantain (85.6%), soups (82%), juices (71.8%), vegetables (73.4%) and carbohydrate solutions (63.4%). Changes were maintained longer than 3 days which contributed to nutritional deterioration. The main reason (52.2%) for introducing changes was to prevent the increase of diarrhea. No correlation was found between schooling level of the mother or her place of residence In the clty and changes performed In Infant feeding during acute diarrheal disease.