Available online at www.pelagiaresearchlibrary.com Pelagia Research Library Advances in Applied Science Research, 2011, 2 (4):58-64 58 Pelagia Research Library Nutritional status of infants attending infant welfare clinic of Ahmadu Bello University, health service Samaru T.O ALAMU* 1 , S.E. ATAWODI 2 and J.N EDOKPAYI 3 1 University Health Services, ABU, Nigeria 2 Department of Biochemistry, ABU, Nigeria 3 Department of Chemistry, ABU, Nigeria ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT This study was undertaken at the welfare clinic University Health Service of Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria, inorder to establish the nutritional status, feeding practices and rates of exclusive breastfeeding and childhood immunization. Forty questionnaires were administered to mother and anthropometric measurements of the children were taken. It was found that 72% of the mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding while 62% of them introduced complementary feeding at the appropriate age of 6 months. Rates of childhood immunization and vitamin supplementation were 92-97% and analysis of anthropometric data indicates that most of the infants have a moderate weight and height for their age. It is recommended that adequate counselling of mothers could help to further attain and maintain the good nutritional status of children attending infant welfare clinic at UHS ABU. Key Words: Infants, growth, nutritional status, breastfeeding, immunization. ______________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Adequate nutrition and health care during the first few years of life is fundamental for child survival and prevention of malnutrition [1]. It is important to know that it is during infancy and early childhood that irreversible faltering in linear growth and cognitive deficit occurs [2-3]. Growth during the first year of life is greater than at any other time after birth. An infant’s birth weight will usually double by four to six months of age and triple by the first birth day. Good nutrition during the period of rapid growth is vital to ensure that infant develops both physically and mentally to the fullest potential [4].