Malnutrition in infants and young children cannot be separeted from malnutrition and poor health in women. The mother and her infant form a biological unit; they share also the problem of malnutrition and ill health, and whatever is done to solve these problems must concern them both together.
Infant feeding
Breastfeeding
In general, breastfeeding is still traditionally practised in all Asian countries although it varies from country to country. The majority of mothers in rural areas nurse their babies until 1-2 years. In ueban areas, the breastfeeding practice is decreasing. Different studies have all documented a decline in breastfeeding as a resolt of urbanization. Breastfeeding duration has been shown to be short among educated mothers and those who work.
Weaning from the breast is as early as two weeks or as late as 1.5 years. From the studues of weaning practices, the reasons for weaning are inadequate milk flow or not suitable, doctor’s advice to bottle feed, social activities, and the marketing of infant formula. Other factors also mention the lack of transport for the mother to the day care center or no day care center in the factory,tradition use of prelacteal feeds(honey,mashed banana, chewed rice), prelacteal feeds(infant formula) given in hospital, separation of mother-child contact after delivery, indifference of hospital staff who unawere of the importance of early mother-child contact(5).
Despite the fact that breastfeeding practice is high among rural population, the nutritional status and food intake of lactating mother was not well enough to produce adequate milk for the growing infant. However the amount of breast milk secreted is about 2/3 of normal amount in most mother (500-600ml).