title: Infant feeding practices among patients of pediatricians and general practitioners.
abstract: In an attempt to document the infant feeding practices among patients of pediatricians and general practitioners, a study was carried over a period of one month and data of 10,374 infants were recorded using a pre-printed proforma marked by a simple 'tick' for each patient. The results showed: (i) initiation of breastfeeding was delayed in nearly half of the cases beyond 24 hours; (ii) introduction of bottle feeding in more than half of infants by the age of 4 months and (iii) introduction of solid foods later than eight months in almost half of infants. While breastfeeding is practised by 78% of women, only one in five practice exclusive breastfeeding till 4-6 months, and very few avoid bottle feeds. Much education and change in behaviour is needed if optimal benefit of breastfeeding in India is to be realised.
authors.affiliation: Indian Medical Association Headquarters, I.P. Estate, New Delhi.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sobti
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rohde
mesh_terms: D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D015995:Prevalence; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations