Context for food-based approaches for improved feeding of infants and children in Ethiopia.

Background: Regardless of efforts by the health sector and partner organizations, maternal and child malnutrition is still a challenge in Ethiopia.

Objective: To describe the context of current infant and child feeding patterns in Ethiopia.

Methods: Feeding patterns, diet content and quality, and nutritional outcomes and feeding practices of mothers of young children are described from literature review of a number of field studies.

Results: Protein and energy deficiencies and multiple micronutrient deficiencies are common. Breastfeeding is often prolonged until 2 years of age, with introduction of small amounts of poor-quality complementary foods. Vitamin A and iodine deficiencies have also been problems. Focus group discussions showed that mothers did not believe that animal-source foods are needed.by young children or schoolchildren. However, the Health Extension Program led by the Federal Ministry of Health promotes optimal child feeding as one of the health extension packages.

Conclusions: Continued use of germination and fermentation of cereals should be encouraged to increase bioavailability of trace elements. Use of fat in the diet would increase energy density. To improve the situation, extension education, including nutrition and agricultural expertise delivered in aformat understandable to mothers about appropriate complementary feeding, including animal-source foods, is urgently needed, with expansion of governmental and nongovernmental resources.