Background : Adequate nutrition during infancy is useful to ensure the best growth, health, and development. Early nutrition since were born is breast milk. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding to infants until 6 months. The percentage of exclusive breastfeeding in infants 0-6 months in Indonesia in 2014 is 52.3%, which has not reached the target of 80%. Breast milk contains many of the nutrients the baby needs for the growth and development.
Method : This cross sectional study, using interviews and weight, length, head circumference data collection from 9-24 months old child. Weight, length, and head circumference was processed with WHO anthropometry into z-score. Data analysis using Mann Whitney test.
Result : Characteristic data with the highest number of children aged 9-12 months (55.7%), female gender (52.6%), non-exclusive breastfeeding (55.7%). There was a relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and weight to length of the child ages 9-24 months (p = 0.044) and head circumference to age (p = 0.039)
Conclusion : There is a relationship between exclusive breastfeeding with 9-24 months old children growth. Children that got exclusive breastfeeding has a better growth in weight for length and head circumference than children that didn’t get exclusive breastfeeding. |