Prácticas inadecuadas de alimentación entre el 4º y 6º mes de vida y su asociación con el déficit nutricional en un grupo de lactantes venezolanos

Adequate practices in food consumption are fundamental for child health, nutrition and growth. In order to detect associations between the inadequate practice of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), predominant and/or complimentary in the first 4 to 6 months of life, and deficiencies in growth and malnutrition, 240 lactating infants younger than 24 months were evaluated in a low income urban area in the city of Valencia, Venezuela (2006). For the practice of breastfeeding, two groups were identified: children who received EBF in that period of time, and those who did not receive it (No EBF). Z scores were calculated for the indicators of Weight for Height (W/H) and Height for Age (H/A), using the CDC reference. Any value under -2 Z was considered deficient, normal between -2 Z y +2 Z, and excess >+2 Z. The non-parametrical Mann-Whitney test and Odd ratio (95% confidence interval) were used for associations. 27% of the children received EBF. The deficit for W/H and H/A was of 11,3% and 5,4%, respectively. Risk of nutritional deficit was 5,25 for those with No EBF. Even though the effect of other socio-demographic variables on the causes of nutritional deficit was not evaluated in the present investigation, it is to be suggested that the EBF between the first 4 to 6 months of life diminished the adverse effects of these variables on the nutritional state.