Peer-reviewed article
Association between nurturing care practices and weight gain among acutely ill children aged 6–24 months: a cross-sectional study
Cechillia Icha Putri, Fitri Haryanti, Ayyu Sandhi, Akhmadi Akhmadi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined whether mothers' nurturing care practices help acutely ill children aged 6–24 months gain weight during illness. Researchers interviewed 58 mother-child pairs in Indonesia and found that while the association was not statistically significant, children who received good nurturing care were more likely to achieve normal weight gain than those receiving poor care. The findings suggest nurturing care may support growth during acute illness, though stronger evidence is needed.
Key points
- 70% of children receiving good nurturing care achieved normal weight gain, compared to 46.4% with poor care
- No statistically significant association was found between nurturing care practices and weight gain (p = 0.069)
- Maternal education and family income were not significantly associated with nurturing care practices or child weight gain
- The critical 6–24 month period combines high vulnerability to acute illness with rapid growth needs
- The study calls for longitudinal research to understand growth recovery after illness
Limitations
The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or track whether weight gain persisted over time. The small sample size (58 dyads) at a single health center limits generalizability to other settings in Indonesia and beyond.
Abstract
Background: The period between 6 and 24 months represents a critical window for child growth, during which vulnerability to acute illness is high. Acute illness may disrupt normal growth trajectories; however, evidence on the role of nurturing care practices in supporting weight gain during illness remains limited. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between maternal nurturing care practices and weight gain among acutely ill children aged 6–24 months. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Banguntapan II Primary Health Center, Bantul District, Indonesia. A total of 58 mother–child dyads were recruited using consecutive sampling. Maternal nurturing care practices were assessed using a modified Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice questionnaire based on the World Health Organization nurturing care framework. Child weight gain was evaluated using World Health Organization growth standards. Associations were analyzed using chi-square tests and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: No statistically significant association was observed between nurturing care practices and weight gain (p = 0.069; OR = 0.371; 95% CI: 0.126–1.091). However, a higher proportion of children receiving good nurturing care achieved normal weight gain (70.0%) compared with those receiving poor care (46.4%), indicating a potential protective trend. Maternal education and family income were not significantly associated with nurturing care practices or child weight gain. Conclusion: Although no statistically significant association was identified, nurturing care practices showed a potential protective trend in supporting weight gain during acute illness. These findings highlight the importance of integrating nurturing care into sick-child management and underscore the need for longitudinal studies to better understand growth recovery following illness episodes.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Maternal nurturing care practices based on the WHO nurturing care framework
- Population
- 58 acutely ill children aged 6–24 months and their mothers in Bantul District, Indonesia
Key finding
70.0% of children receiving good nurturing care achieved normal weight gain versus 46.4% with poor care