2020, Vol. 3, Issue 2, Part A

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Paediatrics, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Pondicherry, India, between June 2019 and May 2020. There were no patients admitted. The study included 500 literate mothers and guardians of infants aged 6 to 12 months from both urban and rural locations. For vaccinations, well-baby clinics to monitor their infants' growth and development, or minor ailments, they visited the outpatient department.

Results: Breastfeeding and other forms of complementary feeding are strongly linked to better nutrition in babies. These practices are also important for children's health. 43.12% of the babies in this study started complementary eating before they were supposed to, while 56.88% started it at the right age. Compared to babies in cities, babies in rural areas were much better prepared to start complementary eating at a much earlier age (70.18%). Supplemental feeding didn't start for 17.5% of moms at the right time. A national Family Health Survey in Karnataka, India, agreed with our research. It found that 72.5% of babies aged 6 to 9 months received both breast milk and complementary feeding. At 6 months, 69.3% of mothers in rural areas and 30.6% of mothers in urban areas started complementary feeding.

Conclusions: We can conclude that women should receive CF education during their visits to the clinic, particularly when their infants are vaccinated.