An Ecological Survery of Early Childhood Nutrition in Whaseong-gun, Kyonggi-do

경기도(京畿道) 화성군(華城郡) 농촌(農村)의 유아영양법(乳兒營養法) 실태조사(實態調査)

An ecological survey of early childhood nutrition was conducted from January 23 to February 18, to study the feeding method and weaning practice in Whaseong-gun, Kyonggi-do. This study covered a total of 283 children. Seventy three percent of the subjects had been breast-fed; 10% had been bottle-fed; others had been combination-fed before the introduction of supplementary foods. Only 26.9% of the subjects began to be fed supplementary food before the age of 6 months. The supplementary food used most frequently by the majority of children at the beginning of weaning was plain cooked rice; rarely special preparation, or different from the food eaten by the family. As for age of termination of breast feeding, 42.7% of the subjects were before 12 months; 32.8% were between 13 and 18 months of age; 24.5% were more than 19 months old. As for methods of stopping breast feeding, 44.5% of the subjects were naturally terminated while 38.5% were forced to terminate by the application of sticking plaster or medicines to the mother's nipples. The results indicate a need for nutrition and hygiene intervention to improve the weaning practice of rural area through the community nutrition education.