Publication:

Feeding practices and knowledge regarding vaccination in mothers of under 5 children: a questionnaire based study in a metropolitan city hospital of India

Background India has a high burden of under five mortality. Faulty feeding practices and mortality due to vaccine preventable diseases is a major hurdle. Objective was to assess breast feeding practices and vaccination status of children of less than 5 years by age and its correlation with socio-demographic profile.

Methods This was a cross- sectional descriptive study involving children of nine months to five years.

Results Health seeking behavior in terms of adequate antenatal checkup and institutional deliveries was quite high; but only one third of children had early initiation of breast feeding and the main reason was delay in rooming-in. Early breast feeding had significant correlation with the greater duration of breast feeding and the duration of exclusive breast feeding was significantly associated with the literacy status of mother. Only 34% of children were vaccinated on time and frequent migration was the cause of delay in 25%. Ground level workers were the main source of information regarding vaccination in this study population.

Conclusions Feeding practices were not satisfactory. Institutional fallacies also came into focus such as delayed rooming-in. Awareness regarding vaccination was inadequate and was incomplete in majority of children. General awareness and health seeking behavior of our community still need enhancement to a great extent.