Infant Feeding Practices Among Slum Dwellers Of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

K. B. Swamy, R. Sambasiva Rao, J.Sriviraja Rani¹, G.Lakshmi, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin,Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. ¹ Dept.of Anthropology.Center for Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam

UNIVERSITI SULTAN ZAINAL ABIDIN CONFERENCE ON WELLNESS, 2010

ABSTRACT

To study the pattern of infant feeding practices among the lactating women of slum areas of Visakhapatnam, Urban slums, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Out of 251 listed slums, 31 were selected at random from the Corporation area. Two anganwadi centers from each slum were selected under second stage of stratification. From each anganwadi center 25 eligible nursing mothers were selected as respondents to get information on feeding practices. Thus a total of 1650 nursing mothers were selected to study their infant feeding practices.1630 lactating mothers were predesigned and pretested with questionnaire. The prevalence of ever breast fed rate was 100% among urban slum population of Visakhapatnam. The exclusive breastfeeding rate was 4 and predominant breast feeding rates were very high. Discarding of colostrums was noticed among 17.2 per cent of mothers, while pre-lacteal feeding was still in practice among 32.0 per cent of women. Breast feeding is an accepted practice in this community; though they are well exposed to urbanization. Some of the women are still delaying the initiation of breast feeding.

Key Words: Breast feeding, Relli women, Exclusive breast feeding, Colostrums, Visakhapatnam urban slums

source: http://www.unisza.edu.my/ucw2010/