Breastfeeding practices of Cameroonian mothers determined by dietary recall since birth and the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique

Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of infants life is a public health recommendation and important factor for the promotion of optimal growth health and behavioural development of each child. The accuracy of the mothers self-reported past infant-feeding events was examined and compared with the isotopic dilution technique. Breastfeeding practices were assessed in a sample of 44 Cameroonian mother-infant pairs using dietary recall since birth. Intakes of breast milk and non-breast milk water were measured in the same sample using the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique and compared with questionnaire. Results showed that mothers self-reported behaviour overestimates the exclusive breastfeeding rate. Seventy-five per cent of the mothers who claimed to be exclusively breastfeeding were found to be predominantly or partially breastfeeding by the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique. Only 11% of the infants were exclusively breastfed and the breast milk output was not significantly affected (P breast milk and non-breast milk water were 701 mL day(-1) and 268 mL day(-1) respectively. Introduction of non-breast milk foods is associated with a reduction in the level of breast milk intake but the difference in breast milk intake was not significant between exclusively and predominantly breastfed infants. In conclusion the dose-to-the-mother deuterium-oxide turnover technique can be applied to validate the mothers reports of infant-feeding practices but non-breast milk water intake by breastfeeding category still needs to be normalized. (c) 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.