Crecimiento ponderal en niños menores de dos años y su relación con el nivel de conocimiento y actitudes sobre lactancia materna en madres que asisten al Centro de Salud N° 15 Ferroviaria en Guayaquil, desde los meses de enero a Julio del 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood malnutrition is a health problem that must be onstantly addressed by public entities, since according to the WHO, children from 0 to 2 years old suffer some type of malnutrition due to nutritional deficiency that causes consequent alterations in the quality of life of children. Objective: To establish the relationship between the weight growth of children under 2 years of age and the knowledge and attitude of mothers towards breastfeeding at the Ferroviaria Health Center No. 15 in Guayaquil from January to July 2024. Materials and methods: The methodology used was quantitative, descriptive, field and bibliographical, information was collected through appropriate tools and instruments, for anthropometric and nutritional assessment, and thus present interpretive statistical results. Results: 63 children under 2 years of age were evaluated, where 70% of those affected by malnutrition are women; Severe malnutrition occurs in 53% of infants aged 7 to 12 months, and moderate malnutrition occurs in 90% of infants aged 19 to 24 months. Conclusions: It is concluded that the impact of malnutrition on infants and preschool children at Health Center No. 15 Ferroviaria in the city of Guayaquil is due to the lack of knowledge among mothers about adequate foods for child nutrition. Therefore, efficient actions such as healthy habits must be applied to promote healthy growth, and thus avoid risk situations from an early age.