To find the nutritional knowledge among mothers of one child of the poor community and to relate status of education to the nutritional health of them and the newborn and to get a thorough knowledge on the impact of nutritional education, a comprehensive study was undertaken in an urban slum area. Nutritional grading was done through scoring system. There were 47 mothers (24.1%) out of 195 having normal nutritional grade and 37 mothers (19%) having severe nutritional grade. There were 80 mothers having 'no knowledge' on maternal nutrition. 'Adequate knowledge' was found in 31 cases. Mothers (n = 80) of 'no knowledge' delivered babies of average weight 2.3 kg whereas 'adequate knowledge' mothers gave birth to babies of average weight 2.9 kg.
PIP: The Urban Health Center in the urban slum of Chetla is tasked with providing comprehensive services to poor residents living in the area. Findings are reported from a study conducted to assess the nutritional knowledge of poor mothers and to link educational status with the nutritional health of mothers and newborn infants; to compare the degree of malnutrition with prevailing grades of nutritional education; and to assess the impact of education upon the birth weight of newborns. The center has both clinic and community-based nutritional services. Maternal nutritional grading was determined using a scoring system. According to that system, 47 (24.1%) of the 195 mothers had a normal nutritional grade and 37 (19%) were of a severe nutritional grade. 80 mothers were determined to have no knowledge of maternal nutrition, while 31 had an adequate degree of knowledge. The 80 unknowledgeable mothers delivered infants of average weight 2.3 kg, while mothers with adequate knowledge bore infants of average weight 2.9 kg.