Weaning practices in Ilorin community, Nigeria.

The paper examines the knowledge, attitude and practice of weaning in 516 mothers in Ilorin community, the capital of Kwara State of Nigeria. Women with a higher level of education and family income breastfed for a shorter period, and tended to wean earlier than the illiterate and low income group (p less than 0.05). Two hundred and twenty-eight mothers (44.2%) had commenced weaning by 3 months of age while 433 (83.9%) had done so by 6 months. Hunger, indicated by crying after a feed or demanding more frequent feeds, was the commonest reason for weaning (36.2%). Pap (maize or guineacorn gruel), an energy-sparse food remained the major weaning food irrespective of socio-economic characteristics. Fortification of pap was positively influenced by a high family income and education. Diarrhoea, associated with bottlefeeding or cow-pea diet, was the major cause of morbidity reported during weaning (55.8%). Ways of improving child health during the weaning period are suggested.