Maternal education and child feeding practices in rural Bangladesh

This study in rural lowland Bangladesh used spot and event observations from 185 children aged 4-27 months in order to examine whether child feeding practices differed with mother's education and with household education. Each child and his/her caretakers were observed for a mean of 20 hr over 6 months from February to July 1986. Only 25% of mothers and 51% of fathers had had any formal education. Exploratory partial correlations and stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed significant behavioral differences with both maternal and household measures of education while controlling for wealth. Caretakers in families with education were found to feed the children more frequently, with fresher food, and in cleaner, more protected places. They did not allow their children to eat food intended for someone else as often, and were more observant when their children's food dropped during the feeding. These caretakers also used more cups and bottles for feedings, breastfed their children less frequently, and their mothers terminated the breastfeedings more often. These behaviors suggested a shift from less attentive feeding practices and less frequent feedings to more frequent feedings in which the caretaker took more control of the child's feeding sessions. They also suggest a commitment to more labor-intensive child care. These associations between education and child feeding practices are mechanisms through which maternal education may improve child health and growth. They suggest the need for promoting more formal and nonformal education.