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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Raghu Lingam
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© Copyright The Authors 2017. Objective Suboptimal nutrition among children remains a problem among South Asian (SA) families. Appropriate complementary feeding (CF) practices can greatly reduce this risk. Thus, we undertook a systematic review of studies assessing CF (timing, dietary diversity, meal frequency and influencing factors) in children aged <2 years in India. Design Searches between January 2000 and June 2016 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, Web of Science, OVID Maternity & Infant Care, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, BanglaJOL, POPLINE and WHO Global Health Library. Eligibility criteria: primary research on CF practices in SA children aged 0-2 years and/or their families. Search terms: 'children', 'feeding' and 'Asians' and derivatives. Two researchers undertook study selection, data extraction and quality appraisal (EPPI-Centre Weight of Evidence). Results From 45 712 abstracts screened, sixty-four cross-sectional, seven cohort, one qualitative and one case-control studies were included. Despite adopting the WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding guidelines, suboptimal CF practices were found in all studies. In twenty-nine of fifty-nine studies, CF was introduced between 6 and 9 months, with eight studies finding minimum dietary diversity was achieved in 6-33 %, and ten of seventeen studies noting minimum meal frequency in only 25-50 % of the study populations. Influencing factors included cultural influences, poor knowledge on appropriate CF practices and parental educational status. Conclusions This is the first systematic review to evaluate CF practices in SA in India. Campaigns to change health and nutrition behaviour and revision of nationwide child health nutrition programmes are needed to meet the substantial unmet needs of these children.
Author(s): Manikam L, Prasad A, Dharmaratnam A, Moen C, Robinson A, Light A, Ahmed S, Lingam R, Lakhanpaul M
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Public Health Nutrition
Year: 2018
Volume: 21
Issue: 4
Pages: 637-654
Print publication date: 01/03/2018
Online publication date: 23/11/2017
Acceptance date: 04/09/2017
ISSN (print): 1368-9800
ISSN (electronic): 1475-2727
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1017/S136898001700297X
DOI: 10.1017/S136898001700297X
