Nutritional status and maternal breast feeding in a group of children aged 1 to 24 months in the city of Kenitra, Morocco

Background: Breastfeeding practices play a key role in the nutritional status of children, as breastfeeding from birth to age two is recognized as a means to promote optimal growth, health and nutrition of development. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate different breast feeding practices and its interactions with socio-economic and anthropometric factors in children under 2 years old in two sentinel health centers (Urban-Rural) in the province of Kenitra, Morocco. Methods: The study included 147 children accompanied by their mothers for vaccination in two sentinel centers in Kenitra province. It was a descriptive cross-sectional survey that was conducted using a structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements to determine nutritional status. The study also includes the measurement of cranial perimeter. Results: breastfeeding is maintained in 89.1% of the women surveyed, including 67.3% breastfeeding and 21.8% mixed breastfeeding, on the other hand our study reveals that 4.1% of children are underweight, 6.8% in height deficit, 2.7% in emaciation and 1.4% in microcephaly. Our results also showed that breastfeeding practices among women are significant with the mother's level of education, place of residence and underweight (p <0.05). Conclusion: Maternal breastfeeding promises to be serious in the study area. Strategies to encourage women to use maternal nutrition should identify at-risk populations and advocate for more aggressive nutrition communication.