Complementary Feeding-A Challenge to Be Addressed in Rural Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Sir, Lack of appropriate complementary feeding (CF), defined as one which is timely, adequate, safe and properly fed (WHO, 2001), is a problem which directly or indirectly contributes to malnutrition, infectious illness and mortality in infants. The incidence of malnutrition rises sharply between the ages of 6-18 months (WHO, 2001) with maximum undernutrition occurring at 8-11 months of age (Vir, 2001). The NFHS-2 (1998-99) also reports a 5 fold increase in undernutrition prevalence from 6 months to 23 months of age.