INFANT-FEEDING PRACTICES IN URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES OF THE SUDAN

Infant-feeding and weaning practices were investigated in a multistage randomly selected sample of 1,039 Sudanese mothers who represented si x of the nine States of the Sudan. The majority (77.9%) believed that breast milk was best for their babies, emphasizing the previously repo rted high breast feeding rate in Sudanese mothers. Food supplementatio n started by 6 months in 82.5% mainly in urban middle and high classes (UMC and UHC) compared to urban poor class (UPC) and the rural group (RG; p<0.001) . A mixture of food items was used for supplementation b y 62.1% of the study group, whereas giving one food item was significa ntly more practised in RS (54.9%) compared to others (p<0.001). Househ old food was introduced by 6 months in 35.4%. Weaning started between 6 and 12 months in 27.1% and thereafter in 64.9%. A greater proportion of rural mothers (36.5%) weaned their babies after the age of 18 mont hs (p<0.001). About half the children (52.8%) were weaned abruptly, ma inly among UPC and RG. The first food item of choice for weaning was f resh goat's or cow's milk (77.6%), followed by powdered or formula mil k (16.1%). The commonest second preferred food was a starch gruel (39. 1%) made either of rice (24.5%) or fermented sorghum.