Table 3.
Infant and young child feeding practices and maternal beliefs quantitative survey (n = 750)
| Mothers' beliefs regarding colostrum | % | n |
|---|---|---|
| Give it to the baby | 70.0 | 525 |
| Throw some away | 28.0 | 210 |
| Don't know | 2.0 | 115 |
| Mothers' beliefs about optimal length of exclusive breastfed | ||
| Less than 6 months | 18.1 | 136 |
| 6 months | 65.5 | 491 |
| More than 6 months | 10.3 | 77 |
| Don't know | 6.1 | 46 |
| Mothers' beliefs about appropriate foods for children 12–23 months | ||
| Porridge that is not fortified | 54.5 | 409 |
| Fortified porridge | 32.5 | 244 |
| Dairy products | 82.9 | 622 |
| Vitamin A‐rich fruits and vegetables | 64.5 | 484 |
| Eggs | 28.0 | 210 |
| Flesh foods | 42.1 | 316 |
| Ghee, butter or oil | 43.1 | 323 |
| Proportion of children 12–23 months fed in the last 24 h | ||
| Grains, roots, tubers | 98.4 | 738 |
| Dairy products | 81.2 | 609 |
| Vitamin A‐rich fruits and vegetables | 64.5 | 484 |
| Other fruits and vegetables | 24.1 | 181 |
| Legumes and nuts | 54.8 | 411 |
| Eggs | 2.1 | 16 |
| Flesh foods (meat, poultry, fish, etc.) | 4.4 | 33 |
| Four or more food groupsa | 42.0 | 315 |
| Minimum acceptable diet (diversity/frequency)a | 38.4 | 315 |
a
World Health Organization Guidelines recommend that a child aged 12–23 years of age be fed foods from four or more of the above‐listed categories three or more times per day.