Abstract:
Childbirth and infancy are the most important and delicate parts of the development of
babies. Regarding this, adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood is essential to
ensure child growth, health and development. This study therefore sought to assess the infant
feeding and care practices among nursing mothers in the Asante Akim District of Ghana. The
objectives of the study were to (1) determine the level of breastfeeding and complementary
feeding awareness among nursing mothers in the study area, (2) investigate the
complementary and breastfeeding practices among nursing mothers, (3) evaluate sources of
water and water management practices among nursing mothers and (4) determine the hygiene
practices of nursing mothers when feeding their babies. The researcher employed the
descriptive survey design for this study. With a population comprising all mothers with
children aged between 0 – 18 months, a sample of one hundred and fifty (150) participants
was selected randomly from a strata of five communities. The researcher used observation
and questionnaire as instruments for data collection. Analysis of the collected data was
mainly done through the use of SPSS with descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means
and percentages. The study found the level of breastfeeding and complementary feeding
awareness of nursing mothers to be very high. However, the actual feeding practices left
much to be desired as a significant proportion of mothers did not practice Exclusive
Breastfeeding for the first six months whilst others did not give the all-essential ‘first milk’
colostrum to their infants. The study again revealed that the water management practices of
mothers were good and had access to clean and safe drinking water. It was also found that
majority of nursing mothers practiced good hygiene but did not sterilize their feeding
equipment. The study recommends policy change such as longer maternity leaves for nursing
mothers, higher formal education for females and intensive education for nursing mothers
through home visits by health care officials to ensure optimal feeding practices of babies.
Description:
A Dissertation in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism, Faculty of Vocational
Education, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Education
Winneba, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for award of the Master of
Technology (Catering and Hospitality) degree.
