A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COMPLIMENTARY FOOD PRACTICES IN CENTRAL INDIA

Abstract

The WHO recommends the offering of complementary foods from the age of six months onwards. ⁽³¹⁾ Complementary feeding is extremely essential from six months of age, while continuing breastfeeding, to meet the growing needs of the growing baby. Infants grow at a very rapid rate. The rate of growth at this stage is incomparable to that in later period of life. An infant weighing around 3kg at birth doubles its weight by six months and by one year the weight triples and the body length increases to one and a half times than at birth. Most of the organs of the body grow rapidly, both structurally and functionally during the early years of life and then later on, the growth slows down. Most of the growth in the nervous system and brain is complete in the first two years of life. In order to achieve optimum growth and development, there is an increased demand for a regular supply of raw material in the form of better nutrition.