Early Feeding Practices and the Nutrition Status of Preschool Children in Rural Hubei Province, China

Abstract

A nutrition surveillance survey was conducted in June 1990 in four poor rural counties of Hubei Province, China, that included 25 villages and 3,564 children, to determine early feeding practices and the nutrition status of preschool children. Data were collected through interviews, anthropometric measurements, analysis of haemoglobin values, and physical examinations. More than 90% of the infants under 6 months of age were being breast-fed, as were approximately 75% of those 12 months old and 26% of those 24 months old. A trend to introducing solid foods into children's diets at younger ages appeared to have occurred between 1984 and 1988; only 15% of the children ate solid food at 6 months of age and 58% at 12 months in 1984, compared with 23% and 78% respectively in 1988. The children's anthropometric measurements were comparable to international standards for the first months of life, and then weight-forage and height-forage Z scores deviated negatively. Physical examinations suggested that several micronutrient deficiencies might be present The data also indicated that during a time of sweeping economic changes and expanded health care availability, breast-feeding was maintained, food was introduced into the diets of children at younger ages, and acute malnutrition was not common. 2 Early feeding practices and the nutrition 1990 30 Low birthweight, 1980-88 (%) 9 Immunization coverage, 1989-90 (%) tuberculosis 99 DPT 97 polio 98 measles 98 Breast-feeding, 1980-91 (%) at 3 months 65 at 6 months 55 Underweight, 0-4 yrs, 1980-91 (%) moderate and severe 21 severe 3 Data from ref. 2. TABLE 2. Indicators of socioeconomic status, People's Republic of China Indicator Status Population, 1990 (1.000s) total 1.139, 100 under 16 years 324,300 under 6 years 112,300 Number of births (1,000s) 24,288 GNP per capita, 1989