Nutritional Status, Care Giving And Feeding Practices Of Infant And Pre-School Children (0 - 5 Years) In Motherless Babies Homes In Owerri Metropolis

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the nutritional status, care-giving and feeding practices of infants and preschool children (0-5 years) in the motherless babies home (Red Cross and Holy family sisters of the Needy motherless Babies Home) in Imo State. A cross sectional survey was carried out to elicit information from 100 respondents who were randomly selected. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16 was used to analyze the data. The World Health Organization Classification was used to define the anthropometric analysis such as wasting, stunting and underweight among the children. Result revealed that anthropometric measurement using WHO standards used in defining the following: Weight- for - height which showed that 18% were wasted, height-for-age assessment revealed that 34% were stunted and weight-far-age showed that 19% were underweight while 19% of the children were overweight. The result of the study indicate that 19% of children were breastfed by wet nursing, 7%  ate > 2 times daily, 11% take fits 3 times per week the health status of the children showed that 19% of them were sick all the time, 2% each of the children had Oedema and Beriberi, 26 % had scurvy, 11% had rickets while 37% of the children had anaemic look on them. In conclusion, the study revealed that the nutritional status of the infants and preschool children in the motherless babies home is generally low due to the children's poor feeding habit and poor nutrition knowledge of the care givers as indicated by the study.

Keywords: Nutritional Status, Care Giving, Feeding Practices,  Infant, Pre-School Children, Motherless Babies Home