Summary
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1.
Detailed feeding histories of 538 children between the ages 1 month and 5 years have been collected from an urban population of the lower socio-economic groups in Calcutta and analysed.
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2.
It is found that only a small number of mothers is capable of feeding their children at the breast after six months.
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3.
About sixty per cent of the mothers add carbohydrate gruels as supplementary foods.
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4.
Solid foods are added mostly at the age of 1 to 11/2 years, and the common solid foods given at this age are carbohydrate in nature.
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5.
The effects of feeding habits and suggestions for their improvement are discussed.
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References
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From the Department of Pediatrics, The All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta.
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Mukherjee, P.S. Feeding of children in urban west Bengal. Indian J Pediatr 26, 467–476 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02789280
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02789280