Background: Nutritional status has a strong impact on children’s survival as malnutrition and diseases are linked together
synergistically2. There is evidence that shows that protein-calorie malnutrition contributes to increased susceptibility to infections in
children and diarrheal infections can predispose them to malnutrition3, 4. Many risk factors have been identified for malnutrition in such
age groups, such as inadequate diet, restriction of certain of food during illness (i.e. complementary feeding like potato, banana etc.),
high illiteracy rate and the poor feeding practices of mothers3, 4.
Methods: 332 mothers having children under five years of age were interviewed from clinics of a tertiary care Hospital during June to
December (2013), through non-probability convenient sampling using a structured questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses
was performed on SPSS 19.
Results: A total of 332 mothers were included in the study showed that mothers between the ages 26 and 30 years had correct feeding
practices comprising of almost 44.9%, while mothers less than 25 years of age had incorrect feeding practices. Higher the mother’s
education status (p-value 0.000) was associated with the correct feeding practices almost 50%. Mothers working status was also found
to be affecting the feeding practices (p-value 0.002) as mothers who were house wives had correct feeding practices 39.3% than those
mothers who were employed.
Conclusion: Study indicates that there is a need of right dietary awareness amongst mothers so their dietary practices during diarrheal
infections can combat malnutrition in children.