title: Breastfeeding practices of Cameroonian mothers determined by dietary recall since birth and the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique.
abstract: Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of infant's life is a public health recommendation and important factor for the promotion of optimal growth, health and behavioural development of each child. The accuracy of the mothers' self-reported past infant-feeding events was examined and compared with the isotopic dilution technique. Breastfeeding practices were assessed in a sample of 44 Cameroonian mother-infant pairs using dietary recall since birth. Intakes of breast milk and non-breast milk water were measured in the same sample using the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique and compared with questionnaire. Results showed that mothers' self-reported behaviour overestimates the exclusive breastfeeding rate. Seventy-five per cent of the mothers who claimed to be exclusively breastfeeding were found to be predominantly or partially breastfeeding by the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique. Only 11% of the infants were exclusively breastfed, and the breast milk output was not significantly affected (P ≤ 0.05) by the mother's body composition. Mean intakes of breast milk and non-breast milk water were 701 mL day(-1) and 268 mL day(-1), respectively. Introduction of non-breast milk foods is associated with a reduction in the level of breast milk intake, but the difference in breast milk intake was not significant between exclusively and predominantly breastfed infants. In conclusion, the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique can be applied to validate the mother's reports of infant-feeding practices, but non-breast milk water intake by breastfeeding category still needs to be normalized.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Food and Nutrition Research, IMPM, Yaoundé, Cameroon. gmedoua@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Gabriel Nama
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Medoua
authors.forename: Estelle C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Sajo Nana
authors.forename: Anne Christine A
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ndzana
authors.forename: Caroline S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Makamto
authors.forename: Lucien S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Etame
authors.forename: Honorine A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Rikong
authors.forename: Jean Louis E
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Oyono
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002163:Cameroon; D003903:Deuterium; D017666:Deuterium Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012928:Social Desirability; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003903:Deuterium; D017666:Deuterium Oxide