Feeding Practices and Anthropometric Indices of Children 0-59 Months Among Mothers in Nsukka Local Government Area

This study assessed the feeding practices and anthropometric indices of children aged 0-59 months and mother pairs in Nsukka local government area, Enugu State. The study employed a cross-sectional design and eighty one mother and child (0-59 months) pairs were recruited for the study using a multi stage sampling technique. Data were collected from the mothers using a structured questionnaire on the feeding practices of their children, while anthropometric measurements of the children were taken using a standard procedure, and further processed into indices using World Health Organization (WHO) anthro software 2006. Data were analyzed using statistical product for service solution (SPSS) version 23. Result showed that, half (50.6%) of the mothers were traders, and 35.8% earned between ₦50,000-₦99,999 monthly. Only 32.1% of the mothers exclusively breastfed for the complete duration of six months, while 46.9% introduced complementary foods earlier than 6 months. More than half (61.7%) of children were severely stunted, and 28.4% were severely underweight. There was a significant association (X²= 26.934, p value= 0.000) between Height-for-Age and initiation of breastfeeding , with those that initiated breastfeeding within 1 hour strongly linked to reduced severe stunting, significant relationship(χ² = 39.268, p = 0.026)was observed between type of complementary foods fed to the child and weight-for-age were those affected with severe underweight were children fed on local+commercial foods. In conclusion, the study observed poor infant feeding practices and prevalence of malnutrition among under-five children in Nsukka. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, including nutrition education, fortification of traditional foods, and improved access to healthcare services, to address the underlying causes of malnutrition and promote healthy child development in Nsukka LGA.