الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Nutrition plays a major role in the preservation of health at all ages, particularly in childhooct. However, it is in the rapidly growing phase of infancy, that its significance is paramount. The present study was planned to investigate the feeding practices .and the different weaning patterns among Egyptian infants and their effects on the physical growth and hualtll status of these infants. The physical growth was indicated by the index of thriving, while health status of each infant was indicated by past history of illness. A group of 250 infants, aged 1 - 1~ years was selected by a simple random way of infants atte nding M.C.H. Centres in Alexandria, representing the urban sample, and Health Unit in Abbis 11 Villa~e, representing the rural sample. The study included: 1. A thorough questionnaire of the mother about; socio economic structure of the family, the infant’s feeding and weaning patterns and the past health state. 2. The relationship between the weaning pattern of each infant at the end of the first year with the index of thriving and health state. 3. The effect of some socio-economic and biological factors on the weaning pattern. The.riti,’lwl ~tntuR of PI1(’h infnnt was attempted by using’different somatic measurements; the body weight, the body length, the head and mid-arm circumf erneces, expressed as a percentage of the standard for age. A combination using this four measurements was used to get the thriving index. Results of different methods used indicated the prevalence of gr~wth retardation among Egyptian infants, especially in rural area. The investigation of the different weaning patterns, revealed that; most Egyptian mothers especially mothers in rural area, were not aware of the importance of the different weaning foods additions to their infants, where most of studied infants scored bad weaning pattern throughout the first year of life, especially during the first 6 months. Correlation of weaning patterns of the studied infants at the end of first year with the thriving index and health state, indicated a positive relationship between good quality of food additions, the physical growth and the health state. As most of infants who scored good weaning pattern, thrieved normally and had less attacks of diarrhea. The investigation of feeding patterns revealed that; most of the mothers were inclined to breast fed their infants throughout the first year. The overall incidence of breast feeding, in general, was in accordance with that reportod by previouD Egyptian workers. Although the breast feeding was tpe leading type of nursing, the rate gradually DROPped. Mixed and formula feeding were practiced by some Egyptian mothers, especially in urban area, but formula feeding became a rural phenomenon. The results also illustrated that; mothers who practiced mixed feeding were more keen to provide their infants with good quality of weaning foods, followed by mothers who breast fed their infants. Formula feeding infa~ts formed the lowest rate regarding the feeding pattern, and this added more to the hazardz of formula feeding. Certain sociobiological factors as birth order, maternal education and maternal age proved to have a significant effect on the weaning pattern of the studied sample infants, but low social level had a significant effect on the weaning patterns of the rural sample infants. The results revealed that; a significant difference between urban and rural mothers regarding their knowledge about weanLng and most of rural mothers were of bad knowledge. Mother’s experience and practices of infant’s feeding, relatives and neighbours and the mother were the main sources of mother’s information of infant’s nutrition. Diarrheal diseases were the most common public health problem of the Egyptian infants. Other health problems were chest and skin infections affecting both urban and rural sample infants.