Poor infant feeding practices and high prevalence of malnutrition in urban slum child care centres in nairobi: a pilot study

Little is known about the style and quality of feeding and care provided in child day-care centres in slum areas. This study purposively sampled five day-care centres in Nairobi, Kenya, where anthropometric measurements were collected among 33 children aged 6–24 months. Mealtime interactions were further observed in 11 children from four centres, using a standardized data collection sheet. We recorded the child actions, such as mood, interest in food, distraction level, as well as caregiver actions, such as encouragement to eat, level of distraction and presence of neutral actions. Of the 33 children assessed, with a mean age of 15.9 ± 4.9 months, 14 (42%) were female. Undernutrition was found in 13 (39%) children with at least one Z score <−2 or oedema (2): height for age <−2 (11), weight for age <−2 (11), body mass index for age <−2 (4). Rates of undernutrition were highest (9 of 13; 69%) in children aged 18–24 months. Hand-washing before the meal was lacking in all centres. Caregivers were often distracted and rarely encouraged children to feed, with most children eating less than half of their served meal. Poor hygiene coupled with non-responsive care practices observed in the centres is a threat to child health, growth and development

Feeding, care-giving and behaviour characteristics of undernourished children aged between 6 and 24 months in low income areas in Nairobi, Kenya

Childhood undernutrition remains a public health problem in slums in Nairobi, yet little is known about current childcare practices, particularly child eating and maternal feeding behavior and their impact on child growth. Treatment options for malnutrition in this setting involve the use of sweet, high energy ready to use foods (RUF), which have the potential to displace home foods, but few studies have assessed this. This thesis therefore aimed to quantify high-risk caring practices in children aged 6-24 months and how these vary with nutrition status. The effects of RUF on meal frequency and eating and feeding behavior were also assessed. The programme of research was underpinned by the following research questions: • What are the commonest modifiable risk factors for undernutrition found in children and how does this pattern vary with nutrition status? • Do ready to use foods displace complementary foods in moderately undernourished children? • Do ready to use foods affect eating and feeding behaviour? Preliminary studies were carried out to test the feasibility of using observations to assess childcare practices. Caregivers of children aged between 6 and 24 months were recruited in Wagha town, a semi urban area in Lahore, Pakistan and in selected slums in Nairobi, Kenya. A structured observation guide was used to collect information on caregiver child interactions during mid-morning meals in Pakistan and lunch time meals in Kenya. A description of childcare practices in the household, specifically dietary practices, feeding behaviour and hygiene practices were assessed by asking the following questions: Who feeds the child? How is the child fed? What is the child fed and how often? What are the hygiene practices of caregivers? Thirty meal observations, 11 in Pakistan and 19 in Kenya, were carried out in homes, while 11 meals were observed in day-care centres in Nairobi. Eating and feeding behaviours varied between cultures. Compared to caregivers in Kenya, caregivers in Pakistan offered more encouragement during meals. In Kenya, encouragement was mainly in response to food refusal and undernourished children were more likely to show aversive eating behaviour. Caregivers would respond to this behaviour by either restraining the child or simply leaving them alone. In day-care centres, laissez faire feeding was common as children were left to feed themselves with little or no assistance. Poor hygiene practices were also common, especially in Kenya where caregivers did not wash their hands before feeding their children. Meal observations were not representative as only one meal could be observed and they were also not practical because of insecurity in the slums. Based on these findings, a cross sectional study carried out in seven health facilities was designed. Caregivers of children aged 6-24 months were recruited from health facilities in two stages. In the first stage, undernourished children (weight for age or weight for length below - 2 Z scores or length for age below -3 Z scores) were quota sampled either from outpatient therapeutic or supplementary feeding programs based on severity and supplementation status between February and August 2015. Undernourished children were recruited from well-baby clinics during growth monitoring. Between July and August 2016 healthy children (weight for age above-2 Z scores) were also recruited from well-baby clinics at the same health facilities. For both groups, child anthropometric measurements were taken and information on sociodemographic, hygiene breastfeeding frequency, meal frequency, dietary diversity, child eating and caregiver feeding behaviour collected using a structured interview guide. Among children receiving ready to use foods, information on child interest in food, food refusal and caregiver force-feeding was also collected for both family meals and ready to use food meals. We recruited 415 children (54.5% female), over half (58.6%) of whom were undernourished. Caregivers and their children came from disadvantaged backgrounds characterized by low parental education. They also lacked access to basic hygiene and sanitation facilities. There was no association between nutrition status and hygiene as nearly all children came from households that lacked piped water (83.6%) and shared toilets (82.9%). Compared to healthy children, undernourished children were more likely not to be breastfeeding (undernourished 11.5%; healthy 5.2% P=0.002) and to receive plated meals at a low frequency (undernourished 12.2%; healthy 26.2% P=0.002). Diets offered were mainly carbohydrate based and there was no association between dietary diversity and nutrition status. Close to one third of children showed low interest in food 25.8% (107) and high food refusal 22.5% (93). Force-feeding was also relatively common 38.5% (155). Compared to healthy children, undernourished children were more likely to show low interest in food (undernourished 34.2%; healthy 14.0% P<0.001) and high food refusal (undernourished 30.9%; healthy 10.5% P<0.001); and their mothers were more likely to be anxious about feeding them (undernourished 20.6%; healthy 6.4% P<0.001). Within the undernourished group, 49.4% had either low interest in food or high food refusal or both. Force-feeding was common in both groups, with a non-significant trend towards more force-feeding in the undernourished infants (undernourished 41.4%; healthy 34.5% P=0.087). Children were more likely to be force-fed if they had low interest in food (odds ratio[95% CI] 3.72 [1.93 to 7.15] P<0.001) or high food refusal (4.83[2.38 to 9.78] P<0.001), after controlling for maternal anxiety and child nutrition status. Children appeared to prefer RUF to home foods which is good for treatment compliance, but it may have a negative impact on intake of home foods. Although a single sachet of RUF appeared not to displace family meals in moderately undernourished children, actual energy intake was not measured in this study and these findings are therefore inconclusive. Children in slum areas in Nairobi are exposed to many risk factors which puts them at risk of infection and undernutrition and provision of ready to use foods as a treatment option does not address the underlying problem. There is therefore a need for poverty alleviation strategies which will lead to improved access to hygiene facilities and better environmental conditions. Measures to improve access and utilization of safe nutritious foods as well as mother-child interactions during meals are also required. A better understanding of child care practices and underlying factors that influence them is also required for the design of effective and sustainable interventions in this setting

What can meal observations tell us about eating behavior in malnourished children?

Responsive feeding is an important aspect of child care, yet little is known about child eating and caregiver feeding behavior in Kenya. This study aimed to develop a mealtime observation methodology and assess child eating and caregiver feeding behavior in healthy and undernourished children in Nairobi. Healthy (n = 6) and undernourished (n = 13) children aged 6–24 months were observed during a meal, with standardized rating of child interest in food, mood, distraction and caregiver responsiveness. Eating and feeding behavior varied with the stage of the meal. Child interest in food decreased and child and caregiver distraction increased as the meal progressed. Healthy children were happy and interested in food during meals, but undernourished children often had low interest in food (7/13). The 7 undernourished children eating home food were distracted (3) and unhappy (5) but children eating ready-to-use therapeutic foods (6) were all happy and undistracted. Caregivers of healthy children offered encouragement more often during meals than caregivers of undernourished children (5/6 healthy, 3/13 undernourished). Meal observations were resource intensive and could give only a snapshot of the child feeding experience. More efficient research methods that can capture a general assessment of infant eating behavior are needed

Confused health and nutrition claims in food marketing to children could adversely affect food choice and increase risk of obesity

Objectives: To investigate the nutritional quality of foods marketed to children in the UK and to explore the use of health and nutrition claims. Design: This cross-sectional study was carried out in a wide range of UK food retailers. Products marketed to children above the age of 1 year containing any of a range of child friendly themes (i.e. cartoons, toys and promotions), and terms suggesting a nutritious or healthy attribute such as ‘one of 5-a-day’, on product packaging were identified both in stores and online. Information on sugar, salt and fat content, as well as health and nutrition claims, was recorded. The Ofcom nutrient profiling model (NPM) was used to assess if products were healthy. Results: Three hundred and thirty-two products, including breakfast cereals, fruit snacks, fruit-based drinks, dairy products and ready meals, were sampled. The use of cartoon characters (91.6%), nutrition claims (41.6%) and health claims (19.6%) was a common marketing technique. The one of 5-a-day claim was also common (41.6%), but 75.4% (103) of products which made this claim were made up of less than 80 g of fruit and vegetables. Sugar content (mean±SD per 100 g) was high in fruit snacks (48.4±16.2 g), cereal bars (28.9±7.5 g) and cereals (22.9±8.0 g). Overall, 41.0% of the products were classified as less healthy according to the Ofcom NPM. Conclusion: A large proportion of products marketed to children through product packaging are less healthy, and claims used on product packaging are confusing. Uniform guidance would avoid confusion on nutritional quality of many popular foods

Eating and feeding behaviours in children in low‐income areas in Nairobi, Kenya

Child eating and caregiver feeding behaviours are critical determinants of food intake, but they are poorly characterized in undernourished children. We aimed to describe how appetite, food refusal and force‐feeding vary between undernourished and healthy children aged 6–24 months in Nairobi and identify potential variables for use in a child eating behaviour scale for international use. This cross‐sectional study was conducted in seven clinics in low‐income areas of Nairobi. Healthy and undernourished children were quota sampled to recruit equal numbers of undernourished children (weight for age [WAZ] or weight for length [WLZ] Z scores ≤2SD) and healthy children (WAZ &gt; 2SD). Using a structured interview schedule, questions reflecting child appetite, food refusal and caregiver feeding behaviours were rated using a 5‐point scale. Food refusal and force‐feeding variables were then combined to form scores and categorized into low, medium and high. In total, 407 child–caregiver pairs, aged median [interquartile range] 9.98 months [8.7 to 14.1], were recruited of whom 55% were undernourished. Undernourished children were less likely to ‘love food’ (undernourished 78%; healthy 90% p = &lt; 0.001) and more likely to have high food refusal (18% vs. 3.3% p = &lt;0.001), while their caregivers were more likely to use high force‐feeding (28% vs. 16% p = 0.03). Undernourished children in low‐income areas in Nairobi are harder to feed than healthy children, and force‐feeding is used widely. A range of discriminating variables could be used to measure child eating behaviour and assess the impact of interventions

Sugar content and nutritional quality of child orientated ready to eat cereals and yoghurts in the UK and Latin America; does food policy matter?

Ready to eat breakfast cereals (REBCs) and yoghurts provide important nutrients to children’s diets, but concerns about their high sugar content exist. Food reformulation could contribute to sugar reduction, but policies across countries are not uniform. We aimed to compare the sugar content and nutritional quality of child-orientated REBCs and yoghurts in Latin American countries with the UK. In a cross-sectional study, nutritional information, marketing strategies, and claims were collected from the food labels and packaging of products available in Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador and the UK. Nutritional quality was assessed using the UK Ofcom Nutrient Profiling System. In total, 262 products were analysed (59% REBCs/41% yoghurts). REBCs in the UK had a lower sugar content (mean ± SD) (24.6 ± 6.4) than products in Ecuador (34.6 ± 10.8; p &lt; 0.001), Mexico (32.6 ± 7.6; p = 0.001) and Guatemala (31.5 ± 8.3; p = 0.001). Across countries, there were no differences in the sugar content of yoghurts. A large proportion (83%) of REBCs and 33% of yoghurts were classified as “less healthy”. In conclusion, the sugar content of REBCs in Latin America is higher than those of the UK, which could be attributed to the UK voluntary sugar reduction programme. Sugar reformulation policies are required in Guatemala, Mexico and Ecuador

Effectiveness of the baby‐friendly community initiative on exclusive breastfeeding in Kenya

The baby‐friendly hospital initiative (BFHI) promotes exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in hospitals, but this is not accessible in rural settings where mothers give birth at home, hence the need for a community intervention. We tested the effectiveness of the baby‐friendly community initiative (BFCI) on EBF in rural Kenya. This cluster randomized study was conducted in 13 community units in Koibatek sub‐county. Pregnant women aged 15–49 years were recruited and followed up until their children were 6 months old. Mothers in the intervention group received standard maternal, infant and young child nutrition counselling, support from trained community health volunteers, health professionals and community and mother support groups, whereas those in the control group received standard counselling only. Data on breastfeeding practices were collected longitudinally. The probability of EBF up to 6 months of age and the restricted mean survival time difference were estimated. A total of 823 (intervention group n = 351) pregnant women were recruited. Compared with children in the control group, children in the intervention group were more likely to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months (79.2% vs. 54.5%; P &lt; .05). Children in the intervention group were also exclusively breastfed for a longer time, mean difference (95% confidence interval [CI]) 0.62 months (0.38, 0.85; P &lt; .001). The BFCI implemented within the existing health system and including community and mother support groups led to a significant increase in EBF in a rural Kenyan setting. This intervention has the potential to improve EBF rates in similar settings

Caring Practices, Energy Regulation and the Use of Ready to Use Foods in the Management of Moderate Malnutrition: Lessons From the Developed World

No abstract available