Effect of antenatal education on expectant parents' knowledge and attitudes regarding infant nutrition

OBESITY is a growing problem among infants and young children and yet little attention is paid to the nutritional education of expectant parents. Eighty six couples attending a course of antenatal classes jointly completed a questionnaire about their beliefs and knowledge relating to infant feeding. Ninety per cent planned to breast-feed their babies, but there was some confusion about feeding solids. At the first class, 10 per cent planned to introduce solids too early, and by the final class this had risen to 18.5 per cent. Expectant parents were knowledgeable about the baby's ideal birthweight but knew little about birthweight doubling and tripling times. Many parents chose a chubby baby as the ideal. Only a third named health professionals as sources of information about infant feeding. More priority should be given to infant nutrition education.