Title: Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Bottle-Fed Infants and the Prevalence of Infections, Allergy and Diarrhea among Bottle Fed Infants and Its Comparison with Exclusively Breast Fed Infants Aged 0-6 Months
Abstract: Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Bottle-fed Infants and the prevalence of infections, allergy and diarrhea among them and its comparison with exclusively breast fed inafants aged 0-6months.Background: For the past few years, the rate of bottle-feeding practice during the first six months of the child's life has shown a sharp increase, which necessitated to conduct a study to highlight the nutritional status of bottle-fed infants. ObjectivesTo assess the nutritional status of infants who are bottle-fed aged 0-6months.To assess the prevalence of infections, diarrhea and allergy among bottle-fed infants.To compare the nutritional status of bottle-fed infants with exclusively breast fed infants. Methodology:The data was collected from hospitals all over Karachi by purposive sampling.The sample size was 100 of which 50 were bottle-fed infants and 50 were exclusively breast-fed infants.The tool that was used to collect data was a questionnaire that covered different aspects including demographic, anthropometric measurements and overall health to assess the nutritional status of bottle-fed infants.A chi-square test was applied. Result:The results of the study revealed that only 21% of exclusively breast-fed infants had normal weight when compared to bottle-fed infants i.e. 25%.Also, no significant differences were found in the nutritional status of both the groups (p>0.05) as 46% EBF infants were wasted, 70% infants were stunted while 44% were overweight when compared to BF infants i.e. 44% and 60% and 30%, respectively.However, the incidence of allergies, infections (cold and flu) and diarrhea was significantly (p<0.05)more prevalent in BF infants when compared to EBF infants. Conclusion:The study concluded that there are no significant differences in the nutritional status of exclusively breast-fed and bottle-fed infants.Whereas those infants who are bottle fed for the first six months are more prone to allergies, diarrhea and infections when compared to exclusively breast-fed infants.