Trends And Patterns Of Infant And Young Child Feeding Practice In Nigeria (Secondary Analysis Of Four Nigerian Demographic Health Survey):- Ohiri, Evangelmary C

ABSTRACT

 This study aims to determine the trends and patterns of infant and young child feeding practice in Nigeria using nationally representative data from NDHS (Nigerian demographic health survey). Data was collected from 2003-2018 from NDHS, appended together after extracting important variables. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Analysis was done at descriptive, univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels. The outcome of the variables measured based on World Health Organization guideline on IYCF (infant and young child feeding). From the study surveyed, results showed that the percentage of children who received dietary 'diversity decreased from 2003-2018.The percentage of children who consumed bread, noddles and grains in a population of 11686 in 2003, 45626 in 2013 and 46802 in 2018 decreased from (65.9%-62.1%), starchy roots and vegetables'(24.2%-19.9%), Eggs(44.8%-10.5%), yellow and orange vegetables (16.3%- 6.9%), Green leafy vegetables (31.2%-29.0), Meat (44.8-10.5%), Vitamin Arich fruits such as papaya and mangoes (22.3%-3.3%), Other fruits (21.8-12.3%), liver, kidney and heart (13.5%-2.5%), shellfish or fish (44.4%-17.8%), cheese or other milk products (13.9%- 9.9%) and the percentage of children who were currently on breastfeeding reduced from (34.1-31.4%). However, the result shows noncompliance to WHO Infant and young child feeding guideline which needs to be adopted to improve dietary diversity and nutritional intake ofinfants and young children.