HEALTH CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS OF FEEDING PATTERNS PRACTICES AMONG INFANTS IN NEMBE BAYELSA STATE

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore Health Challenges and Benefits of Feeding Patterns Practices among Infants in Nembe Bayelsa State Nigeria. The study examines complementary feeding, bottle feeding and exclusive breast 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 revealed that complementary feeding on the infant health indicates that 26 percent (26%) of the mothers fed their babies with complementary feeding. 21 percent (21%) experience diarrhea while 9 percent (9%) says their babies’ poo worm at the period of 6 months. The resultant effect of these infections usually, is poor growth and development, on bottle feeding and infant health, indicates that 5 percent (5%) of the respondents responded that they feed their babies with formula milk without breastfeeding while 4 percent (4%) said their babies are overweight. The findings also revealed that insufficient breast milk and inability of breast milk to satisfy infant were the most frequent reasons for early introduction of complementary foods. On the other hand, 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, weakness, worm was not also found among the babies. The findings also show that there is a strong relationship between exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and bottle feeding. It is recommended, among others that the golden hour is an hour after birth is an important hour lactating mothers must initiate breastfeeding to her baby and must go by exclusive breastfeeding to enhance infants healthy growth and development as well as efficient development of the brain and relieve the baby from diarrhorea, pneumonia and meningitis from the first six month and also untimely death.