Determinants of inappropriate timing of introducing solid, semi-solid or soft food to infants in Pakistan : secondary data analysis of Demographic and Health Survey 2006-2007

Inappropriate timing of introducing complementary food deprives the infant of optimum nutrition, leading to undernutrition, and increased mortality and morbidity. The aim of this analysis was to identify determinants of inappropriate timing of introduction of solid, semi-solid and soft foods in Pakistan. Data on 941 infants 3.00 to 8.99 months were obtained from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2006-2007. The prevalence of introduction of foods among infants aged 3.00-5.99 months and 6.00-8.99 months was examined against a set of individual, household and community level variables using univariate analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for early introduction in age 3.00-5.99 months and non-introduction in 6.00-8.99 months of age were calculated using backward stepwise logistic regression models. The prevalence of early introduction of complementary foods among 3.00- to 5.99-month-old and timely introduction among 6.00- to 8.99-month-old infants were 10.6% and 39.2%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that mothers who had four or more antenatal clinic visits (AOR=2.68) and who lived in the provinces of Sindh (AOR=2.89) and Baluchistan (AOR=6.75) were more likely to introduce complementary foods early. Mothers from middle-level households (AOR=7.82), poorer households (AOR=4.84) and poorest households (AOR=5.72) were significantly more likely to delay introduction of complementary foods. In conclusion more than half (60.8%) of Pakistani infants do not receive complementary foods at recommended time. Public health interventions to improve the timing of introduction of complementary food are needed at national level with special focus on high risk groups

Determinants of suboptimal breast-feeding practices in Pakistan

Objective: Exclusive breast-feeding is estimated to reduce infant mortality in low-income countries by up to 13 %. The aim of the present study was to determine the risk factors associated with suboptimal breast-feeding practices in Pakistan. Design: A cross-sectional study using data extracted from the multistage cluster sample survey of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2006-2007. Setting: A nationally representative sample of households. Subjects: Last-born alive children aged 0-23 months (total weighted sample size 3103). Results: The prevalences of timely initiation of breast-feeding, bottle-feeding in children aged 0-23 months, exclusive breast-feeding and predominant breast-feeding in infants aged 0-5 months were 27•3 %, 32•1 %, 37•1 % and 18•7 %, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that working mothers (OR = 1•48, 95 % CI 1•16, 1•87; P = 0•001) and mothers who delivered by Caesarean section (OR = 1•95, 95 % CI 1•30, 2•90; P = 0•001) had significantly higher odds for no timely initiation of breast-feeding. Mothers from North West Frontier Province were significantly less likely (OR = 0•37, 95 % CI 0•23, 0•59; P < 0•001) not to breast-feed their babies exclusively. Mothers delivered by traditional birth attendants had significantly higher odds to predominantly breast-feed their babies (OR = 1•96, 95 % CI 1•18, 3•24; P = 0•009). The odds of being bottle-fed was significantly higher in infants whose mothers had four or more antenatal clinic visits (OR = 1•93, 95 % CI 1•46, 2•55; P < 0•001) and belonged to the richest wealth quintile (OR = 2•41, 95 % CI 1•62, 3•58; P < 0•001). Conclusions: The majority of Pakistani mothers have suboptimal breast-feeding practices. To gain the full benefits of breast-feeding for child health and nutrition, there is an urgent need to develop interventions to improve the rates of exclusive breast-feeding

Comparisons of complementary feeding indicators and associated factors in children aged 6-23 months across five South Asian countries

Improving infant and young child feeding practices will help South Asian countries achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality. This paper aims to compare key indicators of complementary feeding and their determinants in children aged 6-23 months across five South Asian countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The latest Demographic and Health Survey and National Family Health Survey India data were used. The analyses were confined to last-born children aged 6-23 months - 1728 in Bangladesh, 15028 in India, 1428 in Nepal, 2106 in Sri Lanka and 443 infants aged 6-8 months in Pakistan. Introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods, minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet, and their significant determinants were compared across the countries. Minimum dietary diversity among children aged 6-23 months ranged from 15% in India to 71% in Sri Lanka, with Nepal (34%) and Bangladesh (42%) in between. Minimum acceptable diet among breastfed children was 9% in India, 32% in Nepal, 40% in Bangladesh and 68% in Sri Lanka. The most consistent determinants of inappropriate complementary feeding practices across all countries were the lack of maternal education and lower household wealth. Limited exposure to media, inadequate antenatal care and lack of post-natal contacts by health workers were among predictors of inappropriate feeding. Overall, complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-23 months need improvement in all South Asian countries. More intensive interventions are necessary targeting the groups with sup-optimal practices, while programmes that cover entire populations are being continued

Introduction : the South Asia Infant Feeding Research Network (SAIFRN)

The South Asia Infant Feeding Research Network (SAIFRN) was established in 2007 to foster and coordinate a research partnership among South Asian and international research groups interested in infant and young child feeding. SAIFRN has brought together a mix of researchers and program managers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka together with international partners from Australia. As the first activity, SAIFRN conducted a series of analyses using Demographic and Health Surveys of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and the National Family Health Survey of India. The results highlight that most indicators of infant and young child feeding in these four countries have not reached the targeted levels. The rates vary considerably by country, and the factors associated with poor feeding practices were not always consistent across countries. Driven by the ultimate goal of improved child survival in the region, SAIFRN wishes to expand its partnerships with governmental and nongovernmental organizations that share common interests both within and outside the South Asia region. In the future, SAIFRN hopes to provide more opportunities to researchers in the region to improve their skills by participating in capacity-building programs in collaboration with international partner institutions, and looks forward to liaising with potential donors to support such activities