Author(s): Julie Omaghomi Jemide, Henrietta Nkechi Ene-Obong, Emmanuel Effiong Edet, Ekerette Emmanuel Udoh

Abstract:
Maternalrnnutrition knowledge and child feeding practices are essential in child’s growthrnand development. Without adequate nutrition knowledge and optimal feedingrnpractices, poor nutritional status among children can arise even in householdsrnwith adequate income and food, good sanitation and health services. Thernconsequences of Undernutrition can have long-term limiting impact on child’srngrowth. This paper presents the level of maternal nutrition knowledge and theirrnchild feeding practices, and the influence they have on child’s nutritionalrnstatus in an urban area in Nigeria. A validated interviewer-administeredrnquestionnaire was used to collect information from mothers of children 6-23rnmonths of age. The level of maternal knowledge on child health and nutritionrnwas examined; overall knowledge was classified as good, fair and poor. Also,rnthe child feeding practices among mothers using the World Health Organizationrnindicators for assessing infant and young child feeding was assessed. Thernweights and heights of the children were measured using standard procedures andrnconverted to indices that were used to measure stunting, underweight andrnwasting. The findings showed that most of the mothers had insufficientrnnutrition knowledge as they fell into the category of fair and poor knowledgernand most of the children were sub-optimally fed. Thus, it was not surprisingrnwhen their nutritional status revealed high prevalence of malnutrition.rnConsequently, poor maternal nutritional knowledge and feeding practices isrnfound to be a predisposition to malnutrition in children in their first twornyears of life.