Evaluation of weaning diets in peri urban Kumasi, Ghana.

This work evaluates the commonly used weaning diets in peri-urban Kumasi, Ghana, in terms of the type of diets, daily energy and nutrient intakes of the infants, frequency of feeding, and the chemical composition of the diets. Women with children of up to two years old in peri-urban communities of Kumasi municipality of Ghana, were interviewed in a cross-sectional survey. One hundred and seventy two mothers were randomly sampled and questioned on their socio-economic characteristics, types of weaning diets they give to their children, and the dietary intakes of their children. Composition of the commonly used weaning diets, and the daily energy and protein intakes of the children were determined. Liquid weaning diets were introduced at a mean age of 2.2 +/- 2.4 months earlier than recommended, but solids were at appropriate time (5-7 months). The energy and protein intakes of the children were low, meeting only 49% and 90% of their respective recommended daily intakes. This is attributed to the low energy and protein densities of the commonly used liquid diet, koko, and low energy and nutrient contents of other weaning diets. It is recommended that an innovative nutrition education package that re-emphasises the need to introduce weaning diets with continued frequent breast feeding to ensure adequate caloric and protein intakes should be designed and implemented.

Effect of tempe-yellow maize porridge and milk-yellow maize porridge on growth rate, diarrhoea and duration of rehabilitation of malnourished children.

The diet for 117 protein-energy-malnourished children admitted into the Mbooni Family Life Training Centre between November 1992 and March 1993, was supplemented with either tempe-yellow maize porridge (TYMP) or milk-yellow maize porridge (MYMP). Fifty-six malnourished children had their diet supplemented with TYMP. Another group of 61 children had theirs supplemented with MYMP. The growth rate (weight gain), duration of diarrhoeal episodes and rehabilitation period for each child was recorded and a comparison made between the two dietary groups. The TYMP group achieved a significantly (p < 0.05) higher growth rate (5.2 gm/kg body weight/day) compared to the MYMP whose growth rate was 2.2 gm/kg body weight/day. The mean daily protein and caloric consumption (per kg body weight) by the children in both groups (at 3.4 gm of proteins and 83 calories for the MYMP group and 3.9 gm of protein and 101 calories for the TYMP group) were not significantly different. The duration of diarrhoeal episodes for the MYMP group was significantly (P < 0.05) longer (4.6 diarrhoea days) than that of the TYMP group whose diarrhoeal episodes lasted 0.7 diarrhoea days. The rehabilitation period for the TYMP group (15 days) was significantly (p > 0.05) lower than that for the MYMP group which was 20 days. Furthermore, the cost of supplementing the diet for each child with the tempe-yellow maize porridge (KSh. 1625) was approximately 25% lower than that of supplementing it with milk-yellow maize porridge which was KSh. 2060. These results suggest that it may be more beneficial in terms of duration of both diarrhoeal episodes and rehabilitation period and overall institutional cost if malnourished children's diets are supplemented with tempe-yellow maize porridge.

Predictors of nutritional status among participants in a rice irrigation scheme in Kenya.

PIP: Over the short term, irrigation projects often negatively influence the nutrition and health of target populations through factors which are either directly or indirectly related to the development process of the project. A cross-sectional survey of 187 households in, and 168 households from surrounding areas of the Mwea-Tebere rice irrigation scheme (MTIS) in Kenya was conducted to study the individual and social characteristics associated with childhood malnutrition. The cultivated area in the MTIS grew from 7000 acres in 1965 to 31,000 in 1987. However, during the same period, the population grew from 16,000 to 40,000, with most or all of the tenants' children continuing to live with their parents and overcrowding scheme villages. The proportion of under-fives who had weight/age, weight/height, and height/age indices under -2 standard deviations of the WHO-NCHS reference values was higher among MTIS residents than among nonresidents. Maternal education was the only variable significantly associated to all indicators of malnutrition used in the study. the area of residence, the number of resident dependents upon proceeds from the same farm, recent episode of diarrhea, child's age, mother's occupation, mother's age, type of caretaker of the child in the mother's absence, and mother's marital status were associated to one or two indicators of malnutrition. The level of maternal education is significantly higher at MTIS than off-scheme. However, the influence of MTIS' crowding and poor sanitation conditions is strong enough to make the nutritional status of preschool children worse within the scheme. Maternal education should be promoted, facilities provided to improve sanitary conditions, and programs launched to control population density in on-scheme villages.^ieng