title: Influence of infant-feeding practices on nutritional status of under-five children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the nutritional status of under-five children and to assess whether infant feeding practices are associated with the undernutrition in anganwari (AW) areas of urban Allahabad.
  
  
  METHODS
  Under-five-years children and their mothers in selected four anganwari areas of urban Allahbad (UP) participated in the study. Nutritional assessment by WHO criterion (SD- classification) using summary indices of nutritional status: weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height was done. Normal test of proportions, Chi-square test for testing association of nutritional status with different characteristics and risk analysis using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals was also done.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among all under five children surveyed, 36.4% underweight (< 2SD weight- for -age), 51.6% stunted (< 2SD height- for- age) and 10.6% wasted (< 2SD weight- for- height). Proportions of underweight (45.5%) and stunting (81.8%) were found maximum among children aged 13-24 months. Wasting was most prevalent (18.2%) among children aged 37-48 months. Initiation of breast-feeding after six hours of birth, deprivation from colostrum and improper complementary feeding were found significant (P< 0.05) risk factors for underweight. Wasting was not significantly associated (P>0.10) with any infant feeding practice studied. ICDS benefits received by children failed to improve the nutritional status of children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delayed initiation of breast-feeding, deprivation from colostrum and improper weaning are significant risk factors for undernutrition among under-fives. There is need for promotion and protection of optimal infant feeding practices for improving nutritional status of children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, GMCH, Sector 32A, Chandigarh, India. dinesh_walia@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: Poonam C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Purnima
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Misra
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003126:Colostrum; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007228:Infant Nutrition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014886:Weaning