Inappropriate Weaning Practices, A Cause of Malnutrition among under 5 Children; the Way Forward

Abstract

It has been established that malnutrition is one of the leading causes of death for many of the world's infants, accounting for over a third of the world's under 5  deaths. The incidence of malnutrition in the first two years of life has been directly linked with inadequate maternal breastfeeding and inappropriate complementary feeding practices, along with high infectious disease levels. Complementary feeding otherwise known as weaning is described as the process that starts when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet the infants' nutritional requirements. Therefore, other foods and liquids with continued breastfeeding are required to meet the infant’s nutritional needs for proper growth and development.  The food given to children during their weaning period is very crucial as an inadequate or inappropriate complementary diet will significantly inhibit the child's optimum growth, health and cognitive development in the future. Consequently, a complementary food should be healthy, adequate and should start timely.  Complementary feeding has been recognized to be one of the most often compromised and wrongly practiced in a child’s developmental stage. Inappropriate weaning practices which are characterized by the untimely introduction of complementary foods and inappropriate food choices play a considerable role in this malnutrition crisis.  Cultural and societal influences play a significant role in shaping weaning practices, which in turn have significant effect on child nutrition. These factors have negative and positive influence on weaning practices, such as malnutrition among under five children. It is crucial to recognize and address these factors in order to ensure optimal nutrition and growth for this vulnerable group worldwide.