Table 2 Overview of results
From: Challenges and responses to infant and young child feeding in rural Rwanda: a qualitative study
Perceptions theme 1: “The way we do it” | Perceptions theme 2: “Struggling with everyday reality” | ||
|---|---|---|---|
IYCF practices | Appropriate IYCF | Challenging situations | Responses |
BF practices | - Early initiation of breastfeeding | - Breast milk production is not yet established immediately after birth | - The child is given boiled water to relieve hunger |
- The child is given cow’s milk instead of breast milk for a short period | |||
- No other foods or drink is given to the baby except breast milk up to 6 months | - The child < 6 months shows appetite | - The food is provided to child | |
- Breastfeed the baby on demand | - The mother fears losing occasional daily labor | - The child is not breastfed on demand | |
- Importance of mother–child interaction: | |||
- Affective and responsive breastfeeding | - Anxiety due to conflict between partners | - Limited care while breastfeeding | |
- Touching and eye-to-eye contact with the child while breastfeeding | - Stress due to limited (financial) support from partner | - Limited care while breastfeeding | |
- Respect the child’s hunger and satiety cues | - Excessive workload | - Short time for breastfeeding and little mother–child interaction | |
CF practices | - Introduction of CF at 6 months | - The child older than 6 months refuses food or is not interested | - Continued exclusive BF instead of providing complementary food |
- Foods 6–8 months: porridge, cow’s milk, biscuits, fruits | - Belief that breast milk alone is enough after 6 months of the child’s life | - Continuation of exclusive BF beyond 6 months | |
- Foods 9–12 months: beans, sweet potatoes, cooking bananas, vegetables, small fish in addition to porridge, and cow’s milk started earlier | - Excessive workload | - Preparing food from what is available at hand, caring less about the quality | |
- Foods 13–23 months: beans, vegetables, sweet potatoes, cassava | - Poverty | - Selling more nutritious and expensive food to buy cheaper food | |
- Responsible for preparation: mothers, except when seriously ill (father) or away (female siblings, grandmothers, babysitters) | - Looking for casual labor in the plots of well-to-do neighbors | ||
- Infant has own pot because of immaturity of digestive system | - Mothers’ saving and lending groups | ||
- Food stored in closed pot or container and warmed up for next feed | - Kitchen garden | ||