Current Complementary Feeding and Maternal Nutritional Knowledge in Multicultural Family: Compared to the Korean Survey

Abstract

multicultural family educational support center (8%), mass media (4%), and hospitals (3%). The cases of complementary food introduction after 8 months (21% vs. 10%, p＜0.001), initial use of commercial food (26% vs. 6%, P＜0.001) and initial use of bottle feeding (15% vs. 3%, p＜0.001) were more frequent compared to the 2009 Korean survey. Mothers agreeing with the following suggestions were relatively fewer: feeding minced meat from 6∼7 months (61%), No mixed cereal powder as complementary food (61%), feeding egg white after 12 months (63%), no adding salt or sugar to the complementary food (64%), bottle weaning before 15∼18 months (66%) and considering formula better than soy milk (68%). Conclusion: Complementary feeding practices of multicultural families showed many points of improvement compared with the 2009 Korean survey. Pediatricians should make more of an effort to consult with families of multicultural infants about nutrition and complementary feeding. Also, the government and the pediatrics academy need to institute policies to support the nutrition of multicultural infants. (Korean J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2011; 14: 286∼298)