Traditional weaning practices in Ethiopia

Studies conducted by the Ethiopian Nutrition Institute have revealed a significant prevalence of malnutrition in young children 6 months of age and over. Among the contributory factors to this phenomenon are the late introduction of supplementary feeding a high incidence of infectious diseases social taboos and widespread poverty. Given the prohibitive costs of food substitutes exclusive breastfeeding commonly continues until the onset of another pregnancy especially in the rural population and among the rural poor. In many parts of Ethiopia the weaning-age child seldom receives any specially formulated foods but rather is gradually introduced to diluted adult food that may be nutritionally inadequate. In other parts of the country infants are given a gruel prepared from a variety of cereals; this is later supplemented with porridge. The introduction of grain-based solid foods varies considerably with ethnic background the degree of urbanization and the socioeconomic status of the family. The concept of preparing infant foods from a mixture of cereals legumes and other food items such as vegetables has not taken hold in the country. A major obstacle toward improving the nutrition of small children in Ethiopia is the nonavailability of nutritious easily consumed digestible infant foods. This problem could be addressed through the creation of low-cost production units at the peasant association level. Government support must also be given to issues such as improvements in the nutritional value and hygienic standards for locally used weaning foods education of mothers in appropriate child feeding practices and training of community volunteers.