FEEDING PATTERN PRACTICES AND HEALTH CHALLENGE AMONG INFANTS IN NEMBE BAYELSA STATE

Abstract

The study aims to investigate feeding pattern practices and health challenges among infants in Nembe, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The study examines exclusive breast feeding, predominate breast feeding, and prelacteal feeding. To guide the study, three research questions and hypotheses were formulated.  Two sampling techniques were adopted; random sampling technique and purposive sampling technique which was used to select 365 respondents. The data for this study were gathered mainly via two methods; questionnaire and interview. The findings of the study revealed that mothers who involved in exclusive breastfeeding accounted for 17 percent (17%), that is, they feed their babies with breast milk only, which means that their babies did not experience, diarrhea, pneumonia, and weakness, Mothers who engage in predominant breast feeding accounted for 24 percent (24%) which shows that their babies experience body weakness. On prelacteal feeding on infant health indicates that 28 percent (28%) of mothers said that they gave Fanta water to their babies within the first three to five days after birth while 27 percent (27%) said their babies experience diarrhea. The findings also show that there is a strong relationship between exclusive breastfeeding, predominant breast feeding, and prelacteal feeding. It is recommended, among others that lactating mothers should strictly adhere to exclusive breast feeding as it enhances infants’ growth and development as well as development of the brain and have lesser chance of becoming ill or dying from diarrhorea, pneumonia, meningitis, ear infections and other infections during the first six months of life.