Feeding practices and neonatal period: Feeding practices, newborns in early neonatal period at Dhaka city

Improper breast feeding and feeding practices are one of the major reasons for childhood malnutrition. The present study was undertaken to assess the feeding practices of newborn babies. A pilot study was conducted on 120 newborns (weight, M±SD, 2.82±0.50kg; boys 58%; girls 42 %) and their mothers collected. The data was expressed as the mean ± SD or median (range). χ 2 test was done to detect significant difference between the different groups whenever required. Among the newborns birth weight was normal (≥2.5 kg) in 75% babies and 25% babies were found to have LBW. About 58.3% were exclusive breast fed. Only 40.8% babies were breast fed within half an hour and 12.5% started within one hour after birth and 42% mother used prelacteal fed like sugar water and honey. The breasts fed frequency of the 52% babies were 8-12times/day. The prelacteal (water, juice, sugar water etc) fed were given to 48% of newborn babies. There was a positive association between mother’s education-occupation and feeding practice of her baby (χ2= 14.5, p= 0.02 and χ2= 30.63, p= 0.00). Feeding practices for newborn babies in Dhaka Medical College are nearby standard as suggested in the WHO Guidelines.