Children's Feeding Practices In Families From Maghreb Living In Italy

Objective: To assess to what level an assimilation of eating habits has taken place.Methods: A cross-sectional study examined the eating habits of 103 babies (4-48 months) , born in Italy from parents who lived in Maghreb and who later moved to Italy. The data were collected through a questionnaire and the related interviews.Results: Eating habits of babies and children born from Maghreb immigrant families greatly differ from their Italian counterparts as they are influenced by the country of origin culture and affected by the socio-economical level. In these children we noted: tendency to prolonged breastfeeding, the early introduction of liquids other that breast milk, a limited intake of meat as complementary food, a marked tendency to obesity.