CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Infant
feeding practices play a pivotal role in determining optimal development of
infants. Poor breast feeding and infant feeding practices have adverse
consequences for the health and nutritional status of children, which in turn
has adverse consequences on the mental and physical development. The three
forms o f malnutrition; mild, moderate and severe have varying degrees of
effects on the development of the child. It has been reported that more than
80% of deaths associated with childhood malnutrition result from mild and
moderate malnutrition (WHO/UNICEF, 1999). Adequate nutritional well-being during early
childhood is critical and fundamental to long term development and attainment
of each child’s full human potential (World Health Organization, 2005).
Childhood malnutrition is a worldwide problem and the most widely spread
disorder in tropical and sub-tropical areas, responsible for high infant
morbidity and mortality rate observed among young children in poor households
of developing countries(Smith & Haddad, 2000). Although the number of
malnourished children in some regions of the world is decreasing, the
proportion of malnourished children in developing countries and Sub-Saharan
Africa in particular seems to be increasing rapidly. Inadequate infant and
young child feeding practices coupled with high rate of infectious diseases due
to poor hygiene and caring practices are proximate causes of malnutrition
during the first two years of life (Semba & Bloem, 2008). The second half
of an infant’s first year is an especially vulnerable time, when breast milk
alone is no longer sufficient to meet his or her nutritional requirement and
complementary feeding should start (WHO, 2001).
