Poor complementary feeding practices among young children in Cameroon

Abstract

Globally, 6.9 million children below the age of five years died in 2011, and 33% of these deaths are linked to malnutrition.¹ Nutrition plays a vital role in the development and health of children.² Children during the first two years of life are particularly vulnerable to growth retardation, micronutrient deficiencies, and common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections.^3,4 Insufficient quantities and inadequate quality of complementary foods, poor child-feeding practices and high rates of infections have a detrimental impact on health and growth during the first two years of life.⁵ Children, even after receiving optimum breastfeeding, will become stunted if they do not receive sufficient quantities of quality complementary foods after six months of age.⁶ Despite the fight against malnutrition in Cameroon, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are generally poor and appear not to have improved due to poor education of parents/caregivers, cultural practices and poverty.^3,7