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A survey questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of mothers of infants and young children less than three years of age in the seven Yoruba speaking local government areas (LGA) of Kwara State, Nigeria, to obtain information on children's feeding practices in relation to their ages, site of residence, and selected family characteristics.
Hand‐feeding of a dilute, fermented maize or sorghum pap was reported to be very common in this part of Nigeria despite criticism by health professionals who fear that it produces an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia. Rates of hand‐feeding were similar in urban and rural areas, and younger mothers were as likely as older ones to hand‐feed their children. There were also no apparent differences related to maternal education. At all ages children who were hand‐fed tended to have lower nutritional status than those who were not.
Despite the lower nutritional status of hand‐fed children, it is argued that the practice evolved culturally as an appropriate adaptation to the conditions of the local ecology.
