A review of infant and young child feeding practice in hospital and the home in KwaZulu-Natal Midlands

Figures & data

Table 1: Feeding information received by caregiver per age category

	< 6 Months (%) (n = 41)	6 −24 Months (%) (n = 26)	2 – 5 Years (%) (n = 27)	p-value^a
Caregiver Education Level
< Grade 7	9 (21.0)	1 (0.04)	6 (22.0)
> Grade 7	32 (78.0)	25 (96.0)	21 (77.0)
Received Information	40 (97.6)	23 (88.5)	24 (88.9)	0.31
When information received
During Pregnancy	31 (75.0)	14 (53.0)	15 (55.0)
At Birth of Baby	20 (48.0)	11 (42.0)	9 (33.0)
Information Included:
Type of milk	35 (85.4)	20 (76.9)	22 (81.5)	0.92
Frequency	33 (80.5)	17 (65.4)	22 (81.5)	0.41
Duration	34 (82.9)	22 (84.6)	22 (81.5)	0.80
Complementary Feeding	35 (85.4)	19 (73.1)	23 (85.2)	0.51
Number of meals	30 (73.2)	15 (57.7)	22 (81.5)	0.19
Type of food	31 (75.6)	19 (73.1)	23 (85.2)	0.39
Followed messages	33 (80.5)	18 (69.2)	19 (70.4)	0.55

^a Fisher’s exact as expected cell counts with < 5 observations.

Table 2: Current feeding practices at home

Feeding practice per age group		n (%)
Under 6 Months (n = 41)
Exclusive breastfeeding (no specified time frame)		32 (78.0)
Exclusive breastfeeding > 3 months		15 (36.5)
6 to 24 months (n = 26)
Receiving milk		21 (80.7)
>4 cups per day		13 (61.9)
Complementary feeds (26) commenced before 6 months of age		22 (84.6)
Meals per day (22)	1	3 (13.6)
	2	7 (31.8)
	3	12 (54.4)
Snacks per day (21)	1 snack/day	16 (76.1)
	2 snacks/day	4 (19.0)
	3 snacks/day	1 (4.7)
2 to 5 years (n = 27)
Receiving milk		7 (25.9)
Snacks per day	1 snack/day	13 (48.1)
	2 snacks/day	4 (14.8)
	3 snacks/day	3 (11.1)

Table 3: Provision of feeds in hospital per age category by health professional

	Total		p-value
	PN (n = 14)(%)	D (n = 11)(%)
6 months – 2 years
> 3 milk feeds	10 (71.0)	8 (73.0)	0.44
Age-specific meals	13 (93.0)	10 (91.0)	1.00
1 snack	2 (14.2)	0 (0.0)	0.12
2 snack	1 (7.1)	5 (45.4)
3 snack	8 (57.1)	5 (45.4)
> 3 snacks	3 (21.4)	1 (9.1)
2 years −5 years
Milk provided	10 (71.4)	11 (100.0)	0.11
> 3 milk feeds	2 (14.2)	6 (54.5)	0.08
Age specific meals	11 (78.5)	9 (81.8)	1
< 3 snacks	10 (71.0)	9 (81.8)	0.66

^a Fisher’s exact as expected cell counts with < 5 observations.

PN = professional nurse; D = dietician.