These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: [Infant and young child feeding in Rwanda: results of a UNICEF-Kigali survey].
    Author: Schnepf R.
    Journal: Imbonezamuryango; 1991 Apr; (20):14-8. PubMed ID: 12343288.
    Abstract:
    In late 1987, UNICEF conducted a survey of infant nutrition in 8 communes of the Rwandan capital of Kigali. The sample included 1328 infants aged 6-36 months and was especially intended to provide data on feeding customs during weaning. 2 anthropometric measures, the weight for age and the left arm circumference, were used to assess the shortterm nutritional status of the sample children. 3.6% were judged to suffer sever malnutrition and 20.3% moderate malnutrition according to a comparison of weights for age with the standards of the US National Center for Health Statistics and Center for Disease Control. The arm circumference indicated that 8.8% suffered severe and 15.4% moderate malnutrition. 53.3% of the survey children had suffered during the 2 weeks preceding the survey from fever, diarrhea, cough, intestinal parasites, or measles. 29.3% of children who had 1 or more of these conditions were malnourished, vs. 17.6% of children not sick. The rates of malnutrition of children having 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 of the conditions during the 2 weeks preceding the survey were respectively 17.4%, 24.1%, 31.2%, 37.7%, and 50%. A very significant relationship was found between the educational status of the mother and the nutritional status of the child. 28% of infants of illiterate mothers vs. less than 9% of infants of mothers with secondary educations were malnourished. 30% of children with illiterate fathers vs. 15% with secondary-educated fathers were malnourished. 22% of fathers vs. 42% of mothers were illiterate. 27% of children of birth order 3 or higher vs. 18% of 1st or 2nd children were malnourished. Weights for age indicate that Rwandan children suffer a significant deterioration of their nutritional status during the weaning period, from 8-24 months. 2 factors appear responsible: inadequate quantity of food offered combined with unhygienic preparation and storage, and faulty hygiene of the household after the child begins crawling and walking and is able to move to objects to put into the mouth. 70% of respondents reported that the 1st supplementary food they offered or powdered milk. Children were less likely to have had diarrhea the more frequently the household prepared meals, probably due to faulty food storage. The rate of malnutrition was 28-29% in agricultural households vs. 6-15% in nonagricultural households. It is concluded that raising the educational level will be essential in combatting malnutrition. A literacy program for adults directed primarily at women, could cover topics such as appropriate weaning foods and their correct use, modern family planning methods, and household cleanliness and hygienic food preparation.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]