Feeding Patterns of Children with Protein-Energy Malnutrition in Nigeria

The feeding patterns of 115 consecutive cases of children suffering from protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) seen at Ile-Ife University Teaching Hospital, were investigated. The majority of the children were from Ile-Ife township and nearly all their mothers were working outside their respective homes. The survey shows an earlier mean age (27 months) of onset of kwashiorkor compared with Naismith's (1973) study. About two-thirds of the mothers had stopped breastfeeding their children by the age of 17 months. Artificial milk was introduced briefly, in token quantity, and was replaced by “corn-pap” and other starchy foods such as “yam” and “hard-pap”. Over 80% of mothers would not feed their children on meat and fish because they believed these foods would cause worms which, in turn, would cause abdominal pain and loss of weight. Cow's milk, groundnut and cowpeas were said to cause diarrhoea by about two-thirds of the mothers.

Our study shows that cessation of breastfeeding, inadequate feeding on artificial milk, and cultural beliefs about appropriate weaning diets for the infants were the major causes of PEM in this part of the world.