Factors Associated with Breast feeding as Well as the Nutritional Status of Infants (0-12) Months: An Epidemiological Study in Yaounde, Cameroon

Abstract

Breast feeding is highly recommended as the mode of nutrition of choice for newborn babies as well as infants. This study investigated some of the factors that affect Breast feeding, and how these factors consequently affect the nutritional status of children between the ages of 0 and 1 year. One hundred and seventy one mothers were randomly selected and interviewed in the course of an immunization campaign. After interviewing, anthropometric measures for the infants were collected. Ninety eight percent of mothers breast fed their children (26 percent exclusively on breast milk, 72 percent in combination with other foods-complementary feeding); the 2 percent of mothers who did not breast-feed heir children, cited lack of milk flow or the infant`s refusal to suckle as the main reason. Malnutrition was observed in 18.525 of children on complementary feeding, compared to 14.61 percent in breast fed infants. Malnutrition was related to the other`s age, level of literacy, knowledge of nutrition as well as working status. The length of time for which the mother breast fed was significantly related (P< 0.01) to mother`s working status as well as level of literacy, while the mode of feeding of choice was associated (P< 0.01) to mother`s nutritional knowledge.