Tribal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices
PI USA: Dr. Nisha Fahey
PI India: Dr. Somashekhar Nimbalkar, Dr. Kandarp Talati
Trainee: Dr. Mayur Shinde, Dr. Jigar Thacker
Objective:
To understand traditional feeding practices in tribal families and their effects on child health.
Background:
Feeding behaviors during early childhood are key to nutrition but are not well documented in tribal are
Aim:
To collect detailed stories and data about what children eat, how often, and why certain foods are used.
Impact:
Helped shape culturally sensitive health education programs.
Outcomes:
- Collected data through interviews and observations.
- Improved understanding of traditional diets and helped shape local health messaging.
Publications
- Nimbalkar S, Talati K, Phatak A, et al. Delayed initiation and non-exclusive breastfeeding needs attention in tribal Gujarat, India. Ann Glob Health. 2016;82(3):394. doi:10.1016/j.aogh.2016.04.647.