Maternal Nutritional Status, Maternal Dietary Supplementation and the Growth of Suckling Infants

Abstract

Summary: The effects of maternal nutritional status and maternal dietary supplementation on the growth of infants were studied in 125 marginaliy malnourished mothers in the Sagamu Local Government area of Ogun State. Sixty-five of the mothers who received supplementation served as experimental subjects while 60 served as controls. The dietary supplementation provided energy at approximately eight percent, protein at 27 percent, iron at 35 percent, vitamin A at 53 percent, vitamin B1 at 122 percent and vitamin B2 at about 123 percent of their recommended daily allowances, respectively. No significant differences were observed (P>0.5) in the frequency, mean duration of breast-feeding episodes, milk output, Quetelet index, and skinfold measurements of supplemented mothers compared to control subjects throughout a six-month follow up period. Similar infant growth patterns were recorded in the two groups and no differences were observed in infant anthropometric measurements. Furthermore, the growth of infants of mainourished mothers was not significantly different from that of infants of well nourished women.