Effects of weaning period on nutritional status of children

Objective: To determine the effect of age of introduction and the type of weaning foods used, on the nutritional status of children under three years of age. Design: Cross-sectional, community-based study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in rural areas of District Malir in Karachi, Pakistan, comprising of 900 villages spread over 1200 square kilometer, from November 2000 to April 2001. Patients and Methods: Three hundred and fifty-nine children under 3 years were included in the study. Based on the age of commencement of weaning, the children were categorized as children weaned at appropriate and inappropriate age. For the type of weaning foods, the children were grouped into two categories based on the nature of food items. Results: Children for whom weaning was started at the recommended age of 4-6 months were found to be significantly less malnourished on anthropometric measurements as compared to the other set in which weaning was started at an earlier or later age. Significant statistical difference was noted in the children weaned on nutritious home-made items compared to children having commercial foods. Conclusion: Malnutrition is of multi-faceted origin beyond only poverty and food shortage. Inappropriate feeding practices can result in growth faltering as noted in the present study. Programmes should be launched for education of mothers regarding weaning practices.