Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 2(12): 1132-1136, 2006 © 2006, INSInet Publication Corresponding Author: B.O. Ogunba, Department Home Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. E-mail: bogunba@yahoo.com 1132 Maternal Behavioural Feeding Practices and Under-five Nutrition: Implication for Child Development and Care B.O. Ogunba Department of Home Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Abstract: Achieving development and improved levels of living with human resources is seriously handicapped by the biological consequences of malnutrition. This therefore underscores the pivotal importance of nutrition as an input to development. The study therefore investigated the breast-feeding, complementary feeding and attitude towards child feeding of 384 women with children between the ages of 0-24 months in Osun State. Analysis of data revealed that only 24% of the women practiced exclusive breast feeding and majority (48.8%) terminate breast feeding because they feel children were old enough at age 12 months. Children were fed only when they are hungry (49.9%) and 89.2% used feeding bottle for feeding. It was discovered that majority (81.3%) of the women have indifferent attitude towards the feeding of their children. Mothers with favourable attitude were only 20% and 3.5% had unfavourable attitude. Positive and significant association also existed between attitude of mothers towards child feeding practices and child’s nutritional indicator weight-for-height (r= 0.328; p<0.05). It is therefore recommended that mothers should be intimated with recommended feeding practices and be encouraged to adopt it to achieve optimal nutrition for under-five children as human is the principal agent of development. Key words: Attitudes, child feeding, mothers, development. INTRODUCTION Malnutrition has been responsible, directly or indirectly, for 60% of the 10.9 million deaths annually among children under five. Well over two-thirds of these deaths, which are often associated with inappropriate feeding practices, occur during the first year of life [4] . Behaviour is at the heart of nutrition and health. The full impact of optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding, as measured by population level reduction in mortality, morbidity, improved healthanddevelopment, will never be realized unless women and caregivers adopt recommended behaviours. Recommended behaviours change as an infant or young child grows. WHO defines optimal behaviours in child feeding as exclusive breast feeding for four to six months, breastfeeding with complementary feeding starting at about six months of ageandcontinued breastfeeding in the second year of life and beyond [3] . Field studies show that complementary foods introduced between four and six months of age replace nutrients from breast milk and confer no advantage on growth or development [1,2] . As a result, UNICEF and many recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months. An analysis by the World Health Organization has shown that infants who receive formula/replacement feeding have a two-fold increased risk of dying in the first six months of life. Whether or not optimal behaviours are adopted is a result of the interaction of many factors. The closest determinant relate to a woman’s choice and her ability to act upon this choice. For optimal breastfeeding and complementary behaviours to occur, a woman must both wish to use them and be able to choose them. The two factors are influenced most immediately by the infant feeding information a woman receives as well as the physical and social support provided to her during pregnancy, child birth and postpartum. These factors are in turn influenced by familial, medicalandcultural attitude and norms, demographic and economics conditions (including the resources to grow or purchase needed foods and maternal employment), commercial pressures and national and international policies and norms. In Peru, the perceived appropriate age for the introduction of complementary foods is related to the caregiver's notion of when the child is ready to eat. This, in turn, is generally viewed in terms of the child's development: the presence of teeth, the "forming of the stomach," the ability to swallow food, or the demonstration of an active interest towards food.