Breast feeding and weaning in the Sudan

A structured study assessed the duration and pattern of breast feeding and weaning practices in different socioeconomic groups residing in Khartoum, Sudan, and in a village outside Khartoum, relative to socioeconomic factors and traditional attitudes. Data on over 1500 mothers and infants are includ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of tropical pediatrics (1980) Vol. 33; pp. 2 - 12
Main Authors Omer, M.I.A, Suliman, G.I, Mohamed, K.A, El-Mufti, A, Zahir, K, Hofvander, Y, Lithell, U.B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 1987
Subjects
beliefs
breast feeding
consumption patterns
infant feeding
rural areas
socioeconomic status
urban areas
Sudan
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Summary:A structured study assessed the duration and pattern of breast feeding and weaning practices in different socioeconomic groups residing in Khartoum, Sudan, and in a village outside Khartoum, relative to socioeconomic factors and traditional attitudes. Data on over 1500 mothers and infants are included for 4 different groups, viz., urban elite, urban poor, urban new settlers, and rural. Data categories for the 4 groups include: mother's age and age at marriage; number of children/household; total number of pregnancies; number of live and still born infants; type of contraception used; number of antenatal check-ups; percentage of mothers receiving health education relative to breast feeding; hospital vs. home deliveries; number of days in the hospital after delivery; initiation time of breast feeding; duration of breast feeding; length of breast feeding received by the mother as a child; reasons for stopping breast feeding; infant age at introduction of supplementary feeding; type of supplementary food; and factors influencing the mother's choice of the type of supplementary food. The results indicated that breast feeding still is strongly practiced and that a very high percentage of the mothers breast feed up to an infant age of 1 year. Disturbing factors revealed in this study are discussed and specific recommendations are presented.(wz)
ISSN:0142-6338
1465-3664