FEEDING PRACTICES, NUTRITIONAL-STATUS AND MORTALITY IN PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN IN RURAL EAST-JAVA, INDONESIA

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 30  (3) , 359-371
Abstract
During the dry season of 1975 and 1976, 2 nutrition surveys were carried out in 9 regencies of the province of East Java, Indonesia. The objective was to assess the geographical prevalence, magnitude and severity of nutritional deficiencies, especially among mothers and children. Childfeeding practices, nutritional status of preschool children and child mortality are reported. In the rural areas surveyed breastfeeding is commonly practiced for a prolonged period. In the regencies along the south and north coast of East Java 90%, respectively, 94% of children aged 19-24 mo. were still breastfed; in Sidoarjo, a relative surplus area, the corresponding figure was 73% and on the island of Madura 51%. Even in age-group 25-47 mo. 34% still were nursed in Blitar-Trenggalek regency, 54% in Tuban-Lamongan, 23% in Sidoarjo and 15% in Madura. The variation in the breastfeeding period between the regencies is a matter of further investigation. In these rural areas the role as competitor of powdered milk is a minor one. It was intriguing that 9% of the pregnant women still nursed their youngest child. Supplementary food was introduced at a very early age, i.e., in the 1st wk. This was insufficient to maintain adequate growth after the age of six mo. According to weight-for-age severe malnutrition was diagnosed in, respectively, 1, 4 and 10% of age-groups 0-5 mo., 6-11 mo. and 1-3 yr. The anthropometric data suggest that lack of calories is more influential than the deficit in protein. Age-specific mortality, according to age at death was about 21% in the perinatal and 16% in the neonatal period; from 1-11 mo. (inclusive) it was 31%, from 1.5 yr 19% and till 12 yr 8%.

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