Browsing by Subject "Infant nutrition"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    A comparison of oral feeding and total parenteral nutrition in infants of very low birth mass
    (1975) Higgs, Stephen Charles
    This work was car'red out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, from July, 1972, to December, 1973, under the guidance of Dr. A.F. Malan. This was a newly opened Unit for Coloured and African Neonates requiring special care, well-equipped with trained staff and good monitoring apparatus. For the first time it was possible to provide facilities for patient care in line with those available abroad. The problem of feeding preterm infants has interested many authors (Abramowicz, 1966; Babson, 1971; Gamsu, 1972). The ideal quantity, content of nutrients, calorific value and mode of administration of feeds remains, at best, approximate. With the advent of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and the availability of relatively safe solutions of fats and amino-acids for intravenous use, interest has been stimulated in the optimal nutrient and caloric requirements of the growing infant.
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    Perceptions related to breastfeeding and the early introduction of complementary foods amongst migrants in Cape Town, South Africa
    (BioMed Central, 2016-10-20) Hunter-Adams, Jo; Myer, Landon; Rother, Hanna-Andrea
    Background: Infant feeding recommendations are of health importance, yet the extent to which migrant communities in low- and middle-income countries know or implement these recommendations is poorly understood. This study explores the perspectives of infant feeding amongst cross-border migrants in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Between February and October 2013, semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 23) were conducted face-to-face with Congolese, Somali and Zimbabwean mothers living in Cape Town. To assess commonly identified narratives of infant feeding, nine focus group discussions (three with men and six with women) were conducted with migrant Somalis, Congolese, and Zimbabweans. Results: Three dominant themes framed infant feeding. 1) Pragmatism in feeding choices drove responses to baby’s cues, including cries, sleeping patterns, and weight gain (2). Formula feeding was normative in the South African context, whereas lack of commercial infant milk back home was described in terms of expense (3). Low rates of breastfeeding were explained in terms of work responsibilities including household work and lack of breastmilk supply resulting from stress and poor diet. However, women participants typically did not consider their feeding choices to negatively affect their baby’s health. Conclusions: The reasons for early introduction of both commercial infant milk and solid foods were complex. Breastfeeding was not prioritized despite an awareness of medical recommendations. Rather than emphasizing specific breastfeeding intentions, participants favoured an approach that reacted to their baby’s perceived changing needs. The practical challenges of breastfeeding described by cross-border migrant women reflect one way in which socio-economic and health inequalities may currently be perpetuated for marginalised populations.
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    Perceptions related to breastfeeding and the early introduction of complementary foods amongst migrants in Cape Town, South Africa
    (2016) Hunter-Adams, Jo; Myer, Landon; Rother, Hanna-Andrea
    Abstract Background Infant feeding recommendations are of health importance, yet the extent to which migrant communities in low- and middle-income countries know or implement these recommendations is poorly understood. This study explores the perspectives of infant feeding amongst cross-border migrants in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods Between February and October 2013, semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 23) were conducted face-to-face with Congolese, Somali and Zimbabwean mothers living in Cape Town. To assess commonly identified narratives of infant feeding, nine focus group discussions (three with men and six with women) were conducted with migrant Somalis, Congolese, and Zimbabweans. Results Three dominant themes framed infant feeding. 1) Pragmatism in feeding choices drove responses to baby’s cues, including cries, sleeping patterns, and weight gain (2). Formula feeding was normative in the South African context, whereas lack of commercial infant milk back home was described in terms of expense (3). Low rates of breastfeeding were explained in terms of work responsibilities including household work and lack of breastmilk supply resulting from stress and poor diet. However, women participants typically did not consider their feeding choices to negatively affect their baby’s health. Conclusions The reasons for early introduction of both commercial infant milk and solid foods were complex. Breastfeeding was not prioritized despite an awareness of medical recommendations. Rather than emphasizing specific breastfeeding intentions, participants favoured an approach that reacted to their baby’s perceived changing needs. The practical challenges of breastfeeding described by cross-border migrant women reflect one way in which socio-economic and health inequalities may currently be perpetuated for marginalised populations.
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    Studies bearing on: (1) The nutrition of Bantu infants and young children and (2) The metabolism of calcium and iron by Bantu children and adults
    (1964) Walker, Alexander Robert Pettigrew
    The continent of Africa is inhabited by about 270 million persons of whom about 60 million are Bantu. They dwell mainly south of the Equator. South African Bantu number about 11 million persons, of whom under a third are urbanised, and over a third each work on farms of Whites or live in the Native Reserves. These local Bantu are comprised of several ethnic groups, the largest of which are Zulu and Xhosa. While some communities of rural Bantu still live in a primitive manner. others, mainly in urban areas, tend progressively to adopt a westernised type of diet and manner of life. The Bantu may therefore be observed in all stages of transition, in relation to patterns of diet, metabolism, and pathology. The studies undertaken and to be described concern primarily the nutrition of infants and children, the prevalence of certain deficiency diseases, and the handicap imposed by parasitism on nutritional state and other parameters.