A plausible reason for this observation may be the use of a complementary food (fermented cereal) that is used by most mothers, and is usually commonly available, affordable and easy to prepare. 10 50 Additionally, the stable political environment (shown to improve IYCF practices 27) over the study period in Nigeria, after more than a decade of authoritarian regimes, may also have played a role.
A total of 3021 children in this age group who were started with complementary food were identified and listed.
There was a greater increase in length in children who were provided complementary food (± nutritional counseling) compared to control (WMD 0.26 SD, 95 % CI 0.08-0.43, randomodelel).The study by Obatolu et al. 2003 [ 29] was one of the major contributor to summary estimate and heterogeneity (I=64%).
In our study, infants who were unwanted at conception but were wanted later were less likely to be introduced to complementary foods early.
If they are given complementary food at all, it is, at best, a "porridge" made of flour and water with little nutrition value.
Bottle-feeding of infants is still very common and on the rise and early complementary feeding also remains a big problem with some 55% of young children being given complementary food before six months of age.
In rural areas of China; however, most children were given complementary food either earlier or later.
There were a variety of complementary food(s) used as intervention in the included studies.
This information concurs with a study done in Malawi showing that exclusive breastfeeding is uncommon and complementary foods are introduced early in rural families [ 16].
Contrary to the WHO recommendations and to the policy of the Italian Ministry of Health [ 4, 5], 94% of infants in our cohort were not exclusively breastfed to six months and had already been given complementary foods by this age, at which only a smaller proportion of infants may be developmentally ready to introduce solids [ 9, 37].
