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Utilization of growth monitoring to evaluate the effects of a teaching program given to mothers of infants about nutrition
Abstract: Mothers' health educational needs about infant feeding and food requirement during the first year of life were assessed, a teaching program was built upon those needs and implemented, and the effectiveness of that intervention upon child growth was later evaluated. 60 mothers together with their 60 first-born full-term healthy infants aged 0-12 months participated. Mothers and their infants were divided into a study and control group of equal size with the study group being exposed to the education program. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated by growth monitoring of infants at 6 and 12 months, and by comparing mothers' knowledge and practice scores before and after the program. The majority of mothers were illiterate and breast-fed their infants. Significant differences were identified between mean growth measurements according to sex and type of feeding, with boys and breast-fed infants growing better than girls and non-breast-fed infants. Statistically significant improvements were observed in mothers' knowledge and practice in the study group regarding breast feeding, weaning, and common nutritional diseases during the first year of life. Knowledge and practice scores were positively and significantly correlated. Infants in the study group had a significantly higher mean for weight, length, and midarm circumference at 6 and 12 months than infants in the control group. These study findings highlight the important potential benefits of teaching mothers about the nutritional needs of infants during their first year of life.