Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze the risk factors and vital role of mothers in prevention of nutritional anemia in the early childhood. Material & methods: This study was carried out in the Department of Pediatrics, GS Medical College, Pilkhuwa, Uttar Pradesh for the duration of 1 year. Children aged 6 months–2 years admitted at the hospital during the study period were included. The study protocol was approved by the Hospital Ethics and Scientific Committee. An informed written consent was obtained from the mothers of these children. A total of 200 parents were given the questionnaire on a one-to-one interview basis. Results: Majority (78%) of the mothers were aware that neural development of child could be affected by anemia. Maternal knowledge regarding cow’s milk was poor as 85% had a faulty belief that it increases iron absorption, whereas 15% were unaware of the relationship between cow’s milk and anemia. Many mothers believed anemia to occur only in children on vegetarian diet. Around 72% mothers recognized green leaves and jaggery to be enriched with iron. Although 78% identified vitamin C containing fruits, many were not aware of its vital role in increasing the iron absorption. Most had a misconception that meat contains only fats, not iron. These results stress the importance of maternal knowledge on nutrition and iron. Mothers of children with more than one sibling had a relatively greater incidence of “poor” knowledge unlike mothers of children with single or no sibling. This implies that those with “poor” knowledge were also unaware of the importance of birth spacing (p 0.012). Conclusion: Recognizing the causative factors plays an essential role in preventing iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Exclusive breastfeeding must be promoted, along with avoiding excessive cow’s milk intake. Intervening at the right period with age-appropriate foods becomes a necessity. Maternal illiteracy has a positive correlation with anemia in infants. Improving maternal awareness by the physicians will pave the road toward a nation free from anemia.

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