Protein-caloric malnutril itm ranked numhcr JO ;1s cause of child mort:11ity among J'lilipino children one lo four years of a~c: (Nati,mal Epidemiology Center, 11epartme nt of J·Jcalt h, :. ioo2). I II the snmc year, Lhc tnr tl,rec causes or murtnlity in early chilc. lbnod \'/Crc p11c11nio11ia, diilrrlu;:, ;,nd m,,,,slc:,;, ;111d,,ftc11 a ('r,mhim,t ion of thcqc factnrs with unc. lcrlyin~ mal1111t. ritinn. Thns<, who ~,,rvivc death will carry the residual effect.,; of cliildhnocl 1111dcr nutrition, as le. 'l'i fit :,dulls with low productivity potential. According t<J the f-'N l{f 200s Phil i pr,inc Nutriti11n l«:port, the tripling uf the prevalence of c,vcr·wcight ehildrcn frorn 1998 111 11005 (from o. o'¼i t. <i 2. 0%) sh!Juld not he taken for grnntcd, pur1ic11larly hcca11sc of the r. :mer-i-:ing lifostylr!-rclalc<l nrmcommu nicahle diseases und risk fo,:1r1n: :;uch m, diuhct1:s rncllitus, r. :m Ji,,vascuh,r rfo,e. ise and hypertension in 1. itcr life am. I even am<in)c\ childn:n in s<irnc cases (j!f J07, p. :30). community health m1r Hcs play :i c:n,t:i;,I mle in the prev<:ntic,n 1Jnd control of mnlnutriti<m i111:,1rly d1iklh111,<l, IIy fr1cusing (m the rcas<m!. why m;ilnutrition per~;sts nnd w1,rsc11H in tl,i,; :i;;c: ;;mup, they 0111 ma;,cinii~. e 1lw full p,,rticipation of familic.-i and c. :11n:-;;ivcrs 11n tl,c Ullt: of nppmpriatt: tcchn,,l,~gy t,J cnh:inc. :c family cnmp<:tcnc,ies ,m food Hclec:tirrn, prcp,,rntion ancl feeding using 11,c;,lly,,w1ilahlc ancl afforclubl. c food sources ;ind,,pt if Jn~. CAUSES OF MALNUTRITION RELATED TO FEEDING PRACTICES Studies and experience show that the cause. ~ of mi,lnutrition, particularly 11nc Jc;rnutrilion, in c;,rly <:hil<lll'1od rc:latml tn fccclin~ prnc:ticcs include: (a) non hrc;,st fc:titling or !:srly wc:rning; Ch) absence IJr tir inad11q1i:. 1t,~ r.-omplemcntary feeding during cxtcntl1:tl p<~riods,,f hre:istfectling or dcpcncl<'ntt 11n :,r1ificial feeding; and, (c) J;1ck of rir i11:1clc1p,at1: 9kill in n11rnu1~in~ diarrhr:u :it hornc. diarrh<,a being the second :imnn~ the l!. !tidini. : c,1uf. Cs r,f child m,,r1ulity and,1m,;ng 1h1; Hlf> 3 most commc,n causes of infnnl clc:uths (Nution;. d l~pidcmiolo~y <. :enter, Department of l lcalth, :wo2). NON-BREAST-FEEDING OR EARLY WEANING In a study on conlcmpornry pattcrn11 ofhrem;t-fccding involving countries like India, Chile. Ethiopi;1, Nh;cria, G11ntcmal:1, llun~ary, Sweden, Philippines :ind 'l... ain:, it was 1llinw11 that the l'hilippiru:s ha. ~ the lr Jwcst p1:rr. :1:ntag1; of molht:rs hmasl-fceding their ch ild1 ·11 at birl h :,crn,s so<:i,,-c:cnnomir: lcv<:ls ( W 110 19fl1, p,:M)-1\1:ycmd 1hree months of c:hild's ll J!,'', th· l'hi I ippirn. :s r:rnkr:t. l lhi rd lri l:hflc and Gu:,t,am:ila :inwn~ the countries with th; low"-ll 1ti:r1,r,11ta)(<' of urban poor um1l11. :rs br,:ai;t-fl:ccli11g. II rank,:cl v;cnnd to Chlh; um,111i. ; 1l11; c<>ttr1triw; with the l<iwest perccntogc ofnirul rnrithf:rn hrcnst-fc:cding. 'l11c sa111c Ht111ly sh,,wcd t. h:,t ;,111n11g ti,<: urh;,n pc,or, the nccr,nd i;h,,rtcsl tlurnlion of l,.-c,L1o11-fct:d i11~ is in I he l'hi Hppin ei; wh C!r C 2/~1 of all infont J; h:11] been wc:mcd hy the age of Rix mont lis (p. :1:J). Eitpcricm. :c flh1Jws that urhrin poor mothers,ire lcsi, likely tti hri::;1stfced their habics at r1 long1:r period (if th,!y arc :1bk tu brc:. ast. focd at :ill) because they join the l:1hor force to aui-rncnl the rnrnily im;om~. In s11mc arc:rn amr,n~ the urhan slums, these mothers are thl! Hole hm:id,...,. i11ncrs, wilh hush;1nds hecorning lcsii able tc> c,,rn for t J,e:ir familic.,;. Among poor families, hahtcs who urc not brc:;1s1-fed fire likely to suffer from mulnutrition c:onr;ic. lcring the unavailability of low cost, highly nutritiou s aml easily dlgcstihlc rcpl. iccmcnt for breast milk. 347 