ABSTRACT
In general Kikuyu mothers are reasonably familiar with important principles of child nutrition. They are generally able to recognize malnutrition and are aware of its nutritional causes. Most mothers breastfeed their children at least until the age of one, nearly all introduce various supplementary foods quite early. This is not to say that there is no room for improvement in nutritional knowledge. The understanding of the precise causes of malnutrition is often incomplete while the need of multiple feedings could be recognized more widely. Nevertheless there is no evidence of a serious lack of nutritional knowledge or of detrimental weaning practices.
