Current feeding practices and maternal nutritional knowledge on complementary feeding in Korea

Yom, Hye Won; Seo, Jeong Wan; Park, Hyesook; Choi, Kwang Hae; Chang, Ju Young; Ryoo, Eell; Yang, Hye Ran; Kim, Jae Young; Seo, Ji Hyun; Kim, Yong Joo; Moon, Kyung Rye; Kang, Ki Soo; Park, Kie Young; Lee, Seong Soo; Shim, Jeong Ok

Original Article

Korean Journal of Pediatrics 2009;52(10):1090-1102.
Published online October 15, 2009.

Current feeding practices and maternal nutritional knowledge on complementary feeding in Korea

Hye Won Yom¹, Jeong Wan Seo², Hyesook Park³, Kwang Hae Choi⁴, Ju Young Chang⁵, Eell Ryoo⁶, Hye Ran Yang⁷, Jae Young Kim⁸, Ji Hyun Seo⁹, Yong Joo Kim¹⁰, Kyung Rye Moon¹¹, Ki Soo Kang¹², Kie Young Park¹³, Seong Soo Lee¹⁴, Jeong Ok Shim¹⁵

¹Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Seoul Metropolitan Dong-bu Hospital, Seoul, Korea
²Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
³Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Departments of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
⁴Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Youngnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
⁵Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul Metropolitan Boramae Hospital, Seoul, Korea
⁶Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Gachon University, Gil Hospital, Incheon, Korea
⁷Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
⁸Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea
⁹Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea
¹⁰Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
¹¹Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea
¹²Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Jeju National University School of Medicine, Jeju, Korea
¹³Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, Gangneung, Korea
¹⁴Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Department of Pediatrics, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon, Korae
¹⁵Committee on Nutrition Korean Pediatric Society; Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea

이유기 보충식 현황과 어머니 인식 조사

염혜원^¹^, 서정완^²^, 박혜숙^³^, 최광해^⁴^, 장주영^⁵^, 류일^⁶^, 양혜란^⁷^, 김재영^⁸^, 서지현^⁹^, 김용주^¹⁰^, 문경래^¹¹^, 강기수^¹²^, 박기영^¹³^, 이성수^¹⁴^, 심정옥^¹⁵

^¹대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 서울특별시 동부병원 소아청소년과
^²대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 이화여자대학 의학전문대학원 소아과학교실
^³대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 이화여자대학교 의학전문대학원 소아과학교실
^⁴대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 영남대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁵대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 서울대학교 의과대학 보라매병원 소아과학교실
^⁶대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 가천의과대학 길병원 소아과학교실
^⁷서울대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁸대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 충남대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^⁹대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 경상대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹⁰대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 한양대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹¹대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 조선대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹²제주대학교 의학전문대학원 소아과학교실
^¹³대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 울산대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹⁴대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 한림대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실
^¹⁵대한소아과학회 영양위원회; 강원대학교 의학전문대학원 소아과학교실

Correspondence:
Jeong Wan Seo, Email: jwseo@ewha.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: To evaluate current feeding practices and maternal nutritional knowledge on complementary feeding.
Methods
Mothers of babies aged 9-15 months who visited pediatric clinics of 14 general hospitals between September and December 2008 were asked to fill questionnaires. Data from 1,078 questionnaires were analyzed.
Results
: Complementary food was introduced at 4-7 months in 89% of babies. Home-made rice gruel was the first complementary food in 93% cases. Spoons were used for initial feeding in 97% cases. At 6-7 months, <50% of babies were fed meat (beef, 43%). Less than 12–month-old babies were fed salty foods such as salted laver (35%) or bean-paste soup (51%) and cow's milk (11%). The following were the maternal sources of information on complementary feeding: books/ magazines (58%), friends (30%), internet web sites (29%), relatives (14%), and hospitals (4%). Compared to the 1993 survey, the incidence of complementary food introduction before 4 months (0.4% vs. 21%) and initial use of commercial food (7% vs. 39%) had decreased. Moreover, spoons were increasingly used for initial feeding (97% vs. 57%). The average maternal nutritional knowledge score was 7.5/10. Less percentage of mothers agreed with the following suggestions: bottle formula weaning before 15-18 months (68%), no commercial baby drinks as complementary food (67%), considering formula (or cow's milk) better than soy milk (65%), and feeding minced meat from 6-7 months (57%).
Conclusion
: Complementary feeding practices have considerably improved since the last decade. Pediatricians should advise timely introduction of appropriate complementary foods and monitor diverse information sources on complementary feeding.

Key Words: Complementary feeding, Complementary foods, Weaning