Knowledge, attitudes and practies of mothers who have children 0-24 months about complementary feeding

Aim: İn our study was done to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the mothers who have children between 0-24 months about complementary feeding in the Child Service at Manisa Celal Bayar University Hospital. Materials and Methods: By reviewing literature by the researcher and expert onion as a data collection tool, socio-demographic questionnaire and the questionnaire was used containing information, attitudes and practices related to complementary feeding of the mothers. The present study designed as descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed in Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Hospital within the period of 1 July-30 September 2017. Among these dates, 200 mothers who have 0-24 moths child were selected. Results: It was found that the partipicipant mothers' mean age was 29,4±5,73 years. 47% of the babies were female, 53% were male and the babies were 13,18±6,46 months on average. 73,5% of the mothers have received information on complementary feeding, midwife or nurse took the first place as sources of information. 14,4% of the mothers have started complementary feeding when baby is 6th month and the mean time of initiation of complementary feeding for babies is 2,87±2,00 months. 44,8% of the mothers milk is not enough, 33,9% of mothers started to complementary foods as they presumed it was the correct time to to use them, they gave water as the first complementary food to 56% of children. 42% of the mothers gave pacifiers to their children and 69,5% used bottles. Using a bottle and recommending complementary food variables were found as the most effective variables on introducing early at complementary feeding. Conclusion: In our study, they had deficient information about complementary nutrition. During well baby follow-ups it required that health care professionals should perform continious, effective health education to mothers about complementary feeding to obtain correct behaviours among mothers to initiate at right periods of complementary feedings.